Chimpanzee R-C-E-F blood group system: a counterpart of the human Rh-Hr blood groups.

A chimpanzee blood group system is defined by a set of isoimmune antisera, anti-Rc, anti-Cc, anti-Ec, anti-Fc, anti-Cc and anti-Cc1, that distinguish 19 blood types. Population analysis of 285 unrelated animals and the study of 21 chimpanzee families support the postulated model of inheritance by 9 allelic genes. There is a close relationship between the R-C-E-F blood group system and human Rh-Hr blood groups as indicated by overall structural resemblance of both systems and by serological similarity of their principal antigens, Rc and Rho. There are indications that R-like structures are also present on the red cells of other anthropoid apes, and possibly on those of the Old World monkeys.