Abstract: In order to acquire basic data for genetic diversity in Southern Xinjiang apricot and to supply scientific theory for the protection and utilization of these resources，fatty acid compositions and genetic diversity in 30 varieties of Southern Xinjiang apricot and 4 North China apricot cultivars were studied by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry（GC–MS）. The results indicated that 15 fatty acid compositions such as oleic，linoleic，palmitoleic，palmitic，stearic were identified in almond oil in Southern Xinjiang apricot，and the contents of unsaturated acids were with in the range from 83.26% to 88.81%，and oleic were the highest，followed by linoleic and palmitic in all varieties，which included the excellent germplasm of “high oleic，high linoleic and low palmitic acids”. Plenty of unsaturated fatty acids were both in Southern Xinjiang apricot and North China apricot，and significant difference revealed in the contents of fatty acids between varieties，which the variation coefficients were with in the range from 6.37% to 49.38% and 3.44% to 79.57%. But the variation coefficients of the main fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic both were below 10%，which revealed modest variation range and certain genetic diversity.

Key words: apricot, almond oil, fatty acid compositions, genetic diversity