Summary
Tympanoctomys barrerae, a desert specialist member of the family Octodontidae, until now thought to be conservative, and ancestral to South American hystricognath rodents, presents the highest diploid chromosome number (2n=102) known in a mammal. Unexpectedly, its karyotype was found to be composed mainly of metacentric to sub-metacentric chromosomes. Mechanisms by which such a karyotype may have been derived are discussed.
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Contreras, L.C., Torres-Mura, J.C. & Spotorno, A.E. The largest known chromosome number for a mammal, in a South American desert rodent. Experientia 46, 506–508 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01954248
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01954248