Karyological study of the Malaysian mole, Euroscaptor micrura malayana (Insectivora, Talpidae) from Cameron Highlands, Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

We report the first karyological description of a southeast Asian mole, the Malaysian mole (Euroscaptor micrura malayana). The karyotype of the Malaysian mole includes 36 chromosomes, which consist of 18 biarmed and 16 acrocentric autosomes and the sex pair. The sex chromosomes are a small meta-submetacentric X chromosome and a minute dot-like Y chromosome, although the latter is somewhat larger than that of some talpid allies. Autosomal complements include one pair of NOR-bearing chromosomes. A comparative G-banding analysis with the Japanese congener E. mizura showed that these two species share high G-banding homology, and their differences on two pairs of chromosomes are explained by a single reciprocal translocation. The karyological similarity of these distant geographic species is discussed in a systematic and evolutionary context, based on comparisons to other species distributed between them.