High incidence of supernumerary nipples and twins in formosan macaques (Macaca cyclopis) at Mt. Longevity, Taiwan.
A population of Formosan macaques at Mt. Longevity exhibits an unusually high incidence of supernumerary nipples (polythelia: between 1-6 accessory nipples and/or areolae on 33% of adults), as well as a high rate of twinning (about 1% of births). The coexistence of these unusual traits suggests a connection, which is further supported by a tendency for mothers of twins to have accessory nipples and for twins to be born in troops with high incidence of polythelia.
Hsu
M J
MJ
Department of Biological Sciences, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
Moore
J
J
Lin
J F
JF
Agoramoorthy
G
G
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008251:Macaca / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009558:Nipples / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D013624:Taiwan; D014427:Twins