Additional highly polymorphic microsatellite (STR) loci for estimating kinship in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

Thirty-four short tandem repeat (STR) loci, not previously studied in rhesus macaques, were amplified by PCR. About one third of these were found to clearly and reliably amplify and exhibit high levels of genetic heterogeneity even in relatively inbred populations. These loci, together with 11 loci previously studied, were sufficiently informative to discretely differentiate between related and unrelated pairs and, in most cases, between parent/offspring and other relative pairs. An even greater number of hypervariable STR loci might be required to distinguish between half-sib and full-sib pairs in most rhesus populations.