Chromosome Studies in the Banded Palm Civet, Hemigalus derbyanus Thomas, 1915 (Carnivora, Viverridae) by Conventional Staining, GTG-Banding and High-Resolution Techniques

Abstract

Summary Cytogenetics of banded palm civet (Hemigalus derbyanus) in Thailand was studied. Blood samples were taken from 2 males and 2 females then subjected to standard whole blood Tlymphocyte culture. The samples were harvested by colchicine-hypotonic-fixation-air-drying technique and followed by conventional staining, GTG-banding and high-resolution techniques with Giemsa's. The results showed diploid number as 2nϭ42, and fundamental number (NF) as 81 in both male and 82 in female. The autosomes consist of 10 large submetacentric, 12 large acrocentric, 4 medium submetacentric, 4 small metacentric, 8 small submetacentric and 2 small telocentric chromosomes. We found that nucleolar organizer regions (the representative of chromosome marker) locate on the long arms of a pair metacentric autosome 15. The X chromosome was a large acrocentric chromosome while the Y chromosome was the smallest telocentric chromosome. From GTG-banding and high-resolution techniques, the numbers of bands and locations in banded palm civet were 218 and 244, respectively. Each homologous chromosome pair appears clearly differentiated.