Since publication of the draft human genome in 2001, genome sequencing has been achieved in chimpanzees (2005), rhesus macaques (2007), orangutans and marmosets (2008), baboons and lemurs (2009), and it is ongoing in many other primates, such as gorillas, and galagos. New insights are thus required to think about how we ought to use the vast information of genome sequences for post-genome investigations. Now is the best time to establish goals for post-genomic primatology in these early days in several areas of genomic research. In this symposium, we consider the sensory functions and inter-/intra-species genomic diversity of primates as a first important clue for understanding the pathway of hominization. Cellular and molecular properties of gene products, such as receptors and enzymes, and individual behaviors will help to correlate genomes with environmental conditions in which primates are living. We introduce approaches which can be used to investigate primates with the aim of understanding what makes us human. This is a review of the basis for projects on the post-genome biology in primates.
