Tricho-taxonomic Studies for Identification of the Rhesus Macaque, Macaca mulatta (Zimmermann, 1780) and Bonnet Macaque, Macaca radiata (E. Geoffroy, 1812) (Primates: Cercopithecidae)

Author: Gaurav Sharma* and M. Kamalakannan**

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Abstract

The dorsal guard hairs of two common macaque species of India, namely Rhesus macaque, Macaca mulatta (Zimmermann, 1780) and Bonnet macaque, Macaca radiata (E. Geoffroy, 1812) were examined using the optical light microscope for species identification. Significant differences were observed in cuticular and medullary characters of hair between the two species. The photo-micrographs and characters of hairs can be used as a ready-references for species identification of these two species.

Keywords

Dorsal guard hair, macaques, morphological and microscopic characters.

Conclusion

The dorsal guard hairs of two common macaque species of India, namely Rhesus macaque, Macaca mulatta (Zimmermann, 1780) and Bonnet macaque, Macaca radiata (E. Geoffroy, 1812) were examined using the optical light microscope for species identification. Significant differences were observed in cuticular and medullary characters of hair between the two species. The photo-micrographs and characters of hairs can be used as a ready-references for species identification of these two species.

References

Possession of hair is one of the important characters to distinguish the mammals (Prater 1971). Most of the mammals’ species are identified through their external morphology i.e. different coat colour, shape and profile of the animal. The mammalian (individual) hair also helps in identification, if external characters are lacking (Brunner & Comman 1974; Koppiker & Sabins 1976; Teerink, 1991). Details of hair structure based on a combination of physical and microscopic characters are helpful in the identification of species (Mayer 1952; Teerink 1991; Sahajibal 2010). Tricho-taxonomic studies of mammalian fauna have been well documented viz., Stains (1958); Brunner & Comman (1974); Moore et al. (1974); Koppiker & Sabins (1976); Teerink (1991); Wallis (1993); Bahuguna et al. (2010) Chakraborty & De (2010), etc. Study on the dorsal guard hair characters of macaque species is limited except a study by Sarkar et al. (2010). There are nine species of macaque found in India, of which Maca

How to cite this article

Gaurav Sharma and M. Kamalakannan (2017). Tricho-taxonomic Studies for Identification of the Rhesus Macaque, Macaca mulatta (Zimmermann, 1780) and Bonnet Macaque, Macaca radiata (E. Geoffroy, 1812) (Primates: Cercopithecidae) , Biological Forum – An I