Chapter 9 - Reproductive Biology

Abstract

Although the overall number of nonhuman primate species used in reproductive research has declined since the early 1970s, large numbers are still utilized for this purpose. Among the nonhuman primate species that are still used for reproductive research are several prosimians (lemurs and bushbabies), New World species (squirrel monkeys, marmosets, tamarins), Old World species (rhesus, cynomolgus, pig-tailed macaques, baboons, African green monkey), and apes (chimpanzees). The rhesus monkey has been, by far, the most commonly used species for research in reproductive biology until recently, as they have been replaced to a large extent by the cynomolgus or the long-tailed macaque. This shift in choice of species was brought about largely by the exportation ban of the rhesus by the Indian government and the ready availability of the long-tailed macaque from Indonesia and the Philippine Islands. This chapter primarily utilized the data available for the more commonly used species, and the present information from the lesser used species.