Morphological studies ofMacaca fuscata

Dermatoglyphics of the foot of two groups of Japanese monkey (Macaca fuscata fuscata of Takasakiyama, Oita Prefecture andMacaca fuscata yakui of Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture) were examined. All the fingerprints of the foot consist of a whorl type. Concerning plantar patterns and ridge directions in the sole, there are some differences between both groups. Common to both groups, we find that three kinds of interdigital pattern (II, III, and IV) and proximal thenar pattern (Th^p) are usually of the non-whirling type. This comparatively low frequency of occurrence of a whirling type may be regarded as a characteristic of this species (Macaca fuscata).