Selection and the transferrin polymorphism in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta).
Rates of survival, infant growth and fertility of rhesus monkeys with two, one and no C allele(s) at the transferrin locus are compared. Infants with no C allele experience slower growth rates than animals with either one or two C allele(s). While heterozygous females exhibit the highest infant growth rates among females, their fertility is lower and incidence of abortions and stillbirths is higher than for females with two or no C alleles. It is hypothesized that opposing directions of selection at different life-cycle stages maintain a stable equilibrium at the transferrin locus.
D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000662:veterinary; D005787:Gene Frequency; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism; D008251:Macaca / Q000235:genetics*; D008253:Macaca mulatta / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D011247:Pregnancy; D014168:Transferrin / Q000235:genetics*
D014168:Transferrin; D007501:Iron