Different kinds of constitutive heterochromatin variation were observed in 72 specimens of Cebus apella, belonging to five distinct subspecies, captured in four geographic regions of South America. One particular chromosome type, affecting pair 19, was found to be exclusive of one subspecies (Cebus apella paraguayanus) and to have a distribution significantly different from that expected at equilibrium. Conversely, some other chromosome polymorphisms were more widespread, with distributions compatible with equilibrium. Other variant types, probably resulting from paracentric inversions involving both heterochromatin and euchromatin, were rarer and restricted to single specimens. Finally, a distinctive chromosome type 11 was found to be exclusive of one subspecies (Cebus apella xanthosternos), where it appeared as a fixed trait.

Chromosome studies were performed on 40 specimens identified as Cebus apella paraguayanus, Fischer, 1829, which had been wild-caught in Santa Catalina (Republic of Paraguay). Elongated chromosome spreads obtained from lymphocyte cultures were sequentially stained with different techniques, and a constant pattern of 382 bands was identified in all specimens. A standard karyotype based on the measurements of the total chromosome length and the G-Q banding pattern is proposed.

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