Chromosomes of five artiodactyl mammals

Abstract

Somatic chromosomes of six specimens belonging to the following five species of artiodactyls (Artiodactyla: Mammalia) are described: A female nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus), 2n=46; male baresingha (Rucervus duvauceli), two specimens, 2n=56; a female Himalayan tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus), 2n=48; a female Kirk's dik-dik (Rhynchotragus kirki), 2n=46; and a male sambar (Cervus unicolor), 2n=58. In the baresingha and the sambar, one or more acrocentric chromosomes carried satellites on their long arms. 3H-thymidine radioautographs of cultured cells of the Himalayan tahr showed a long acrocentric chromosome to be late-replicating, suggesting that it is an X chromosome.