Systematic Review of the Rhesus Macaque, Macaca mulatta (Zimmermann, 1780) Jack Fooden Abstract The rhesus macaque, Macaca mulatta (Zimmermann, 1780), is systematically reviewed, based on examination of 638 museum specimens, observation of natural populations, and sur-vey of relevant literature. The natural distribution of M. mulatta extends from eastern Afghan-istan and western India to eastern China and northern Vietnam. This review includes analyses of geographic variation in pelage characters, external measurements and proportions, cranial characters, molecular biology and genetics, and physiology and disease. Information also is presented concerning natural history, reproduction, and paleontology. Taxonomically, local and regional populations are regarded as inadequately differentiated to warrant recognition of sub-species in M. mulatta. A hypothesis is proposed to explain the evolution and dispersal of this species. In an appendix, an annotated gazetteer lists 1,239 localities where M. mulatta has been collected or observed. Introduction bnhs The rhesus macaque, Macaca mulatta (Zim-ctnrc mermann, 1780), probably is the most intensively studied species of non-human primate (see, e.g.. Primate Information Center, 1998, p. 27). The fcxm present systematic review of M. mulatta is based on examination of 638 museum specimens (Ap-fdcg pendix 1); observation of natural populations in India, Thailand, and China; and survey of relevant fmnh literature. The principal subjects covered in this review are geographic variation in characters; nat-fubd ural history, reproduction, and paleontology; tax-onomy; and evolution and dispersal. Specimens hubd examined are preserved in the following institu-tions (number of specimens in parentheses), jggj^ which hereafter are cited by means of the indi-cated abbreviations: ^^^^ AMNH American Museum of Natural History, New York (53) izcas ANSP Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadel-phia (8) KIZ BMNH Beijing Museum of Natural History, Beijing (7) mcz bm(nh) British Museum (Natural History), Lon-don (122) Bombay Natural History Society, Mum-bai (39) Centre for Thai National Reference Col-lections, Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research, Bangkok ( 1 ) Forestry College of Vietnam, Xuan Mai (5) Forestry Designing Centre of Guangxi, Nanning (8) Field Museum of Natural History, Chi-cago (23) Fudan University, Biology Department, Shanghai (2) Hangzhou University, Biology Depart-ment, Hangzhou (1) Institute of Ecology and Biological Re-sources, Hanoi (38) Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Brussels (3) Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (47) Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming (28) Museum of Comparative Zoology, Har-vard University, Cambridge, Massachu-setts (8) FIELDIANA: ZOOLOGY, N.S., NO. 96, JUNE 30, 2000, PP. 1-180
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