The Maintenance of Deleterious Variation in Wild Chinese Rhesus Macaques.

Our results offer insights into the relationship between demographic and evolutionary processes and the maintenance of deleterious alleles in wild rhesus macaques. We demonstrate how inbreeding and recent positive selection can contribute to the maintenance of deleterious variants in wild non-human primate populations. Given that deleterious variation can reduce individuals reproductive fitness and contribute to extinction risks, this study is particularly relevant in the context of conservation of wild endangered species.