The development of easily scoreable genetic markers in Arachis will facilitate the introgression of desirable traits from wild species into adapted germplasm. We have used random amplified polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs) to identify polymorphic molecular markers in a range of wild and cultivated Arachis species. From a total of sixty 10-mer oligonucleotide primers, 49 polymorphic loci were identified between a cultivated A. hypogaea type (TMV-2) and a synthetic amphidiploid (B × C)2 created from a A. batizocoi and A. chacoense cross. The inheritance of polymorphic markers, both in the amphidiploid and in the F1 progeny in a TMV-2 × (B × C)2 cross, has also been demonstrated. The potential exploitation of RAPD markers in groundnut improvement programs is discussed.Key words: groundnut, Arachis species, RAPDs, amphidiploid.