Development of a Chinese-Indian hybrid (Chindian) rhesus macaque colony at the California National Primate Research Center by introgression

Background: Fullbred Chinese and Indian rhesus macaques represent genetically distinct populations. The California National Primate Research Center introduced Chinese founders into its Indian-derived rhesus colony in response to the 1978 Indian embargo on exportation of animals for research and the concern that loss of genetic variation in the closed colony would hamper research efforts. The resulting hybrid rhesus now number well over a thousand animals and represent a growing proportion of the animals in the colony. Methods: We characterized the population genetic structure of the hybrid colony and compared it with that of their pure Indian and Chinese progenitors. Results: The hybrid population contains higher genetic diversity and linkage disequilibrium than their full Indian progenitors and represents a resource with unique research applications. Conclusions: The genetic diversity of the hybrids indicates that the strategy to introduce novel genes into the colony by hybridizing Chinese founders and their hybrid offspring with Indian-derived animals was successful.