Comparison of karyotypes in three species of rabbit: Oryctolagus cuniculus, Sylvilagus nuttallii and S. idahoensis

Abstract

The karyotypes in three species of rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus, Sylvilagus nuttallii and 5. idahoensis) were compared. The karyotype of Oryctolagus cuniculus was used as a reference. The chromosome number in Oryctolagus cuniculus and Sylvilagus idahoensis is 44, and in S. nuttallii, 42. Four chromosome pairs in Sylvilagus idahoensis and three in S. nuttallii are clearly different from those in Oryctolagus cuniculus, but minor differences can also be found in other chromosomes in these species. A very striking similarity in the karyotypes of Oryctolagus cuniculus and Sylvilagus nuttallii is that they have identical metacentric chromosomes 1, whereas in S. idahoensis this chromosome is represented by two separate chromosome pairs. In spite of this, the karyotypes in the three species have diverged from each other about equally. © 1979 Mendelian Society of Lund