A preliminary note on banded karyotypes of the short-tailed shrew Blarina brevicauda (Mammalia, Insectivora)

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Chromosomes of the short-tailed shrew Blarina brevicauda, which display the numerical polymorphism arisen from Robertsonian rearrangements, were analyzed with conventional and silver staining and G- and C-banding techniques. With respect to all specimens examined in the present study, the diploid chromosome number (2n) and fundamental autosomal arm number (FN) were 50 and 48, respectively. The karyotype consisted of 24 pairs of acrocentric autosomes, a large-sized metacentric X chromosome, and a small-sized submetacentric Y chromosome. The comparison with previous findings suggested the geographic polymorphism of Y chromosome in this species. All autosomes and the X chromosome carried slight centromeric constitutive heterochromatin, whereas the Y chromosome was entirely heterochromatic. On the satellites of short arms of two autosomal pairs, the nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) were recognized. The G- and C-banded and Ag-NOR-stained karyotypes presented in the present study could be useful cytogenetic characteristics for specification of chromosomes participating in Robertsonian rearrangements within this species and for karyo-systematic study of genus Blarina.
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