A CHROMOSOMAL STUDY OF TWO DORMOUSE SPECIES FROM TURKEY

Abstract

The results of a karyological study on the dormice Myoxus glis (2n=62) and Dryomys nitedula (2n=48) from Turkey are presented in this study. The karyotype was analyzed cytogenetically by conventional staining, G- and C-banding techniques and the banding patterns were compared with those from previous works. The C-banded karyotype of M. glis is reported here for the first time. Furthermore, the G- and C-banding patterns are also provided for the first time for Black Sea Region populations in Turkey of the two species. C-banding showed in most autosomes at least faint heterochromatic bands in the centromeric regions in both species. The comparison of our G-banding patterns for these species with those of previous studies showed extensive homology.