On the Nature of Heteroploidy (original) (raw)

1. P. M. Kraemer,
2. L. L. Deaven,
3. H. A. Crissman,
4. J. A. Steinkamp, and
5. D. F. Petersen
6. Cellular and Molecular Radiobiology Group and Biophysics and Instrumentation Group, Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, University of California, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87544

Excerpt

The organization of eukaryotic genomes into multiple chromosomes in each cell presents several thought-provoking paradoxes. Among mammals, for instance, although the chromosome number varies by more than an order of magnitude, the amount of DNA per cell is very similar (Atkin et al., 1965). Closely related species, such as two kinds of small Indian deer, illustrate this paradox. One species, the Indian muntjac, has a diploid number of six, whereas another, the Reeves muntjac, has a diploid number of 46 (Wurster and Benirschke, 1970). Closely related species of other genera (Equus, Microtus, Sigmodon) also show a wide range of chromosome numbers. These facts have been of great interest to students of evolution (Matthey, 1965), and theories have been formulated that can, in concept, explain the chromosomal evolution of any given karyotype from any other karyotype by the processes of fusion, fission, and in version. The point we wish to emphasize...