Non-human primates (marmosets and rhesus macaques)

Why do we use non-human primates? Monkeys and apes are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, and because of their high cognitive abilities and complex social behaviour, biomedical research using these animals requires additional justification and high welfare standards. Due to the high degree of genetic, anatomical and physiological conservation, non-human primates can be the best models for understanding human biological processes. They may be used to understand normal or abnormal structure and function or determine the efficacy of treatments where no other suitable animal models exist. Their use has led to a number of valuable medicines and treatments. Whilst genetic similarity to humans is high in non-human primates, it is also high in less developed species; for instance, we share 96% of our DNA with mice, 70% with fruit flies, and indeed 50% with crops such as bananas. In different species the same gene may be expressed in different ways or interact in different ways with other genes. Having genes in common may help with comparing and understanding some biological processes but is of limited relevance with respect to assessing welfare, social needs etc.