Possible Karyological Affinities of Small Mammals from North of the Ethiopian Plateau

Abstract

Representatives of eight genera of Ethiopian rodents were collected and their chromosome characteristics were analyzed for the first time in the northern montane part of the country (between Tana Lake and Mt Guna, altitudes from 1800 to 3800 m a.s.l. at latitudes between 11-12 degrees N). Even preliminary chromosome analysis gives rich empirical materials for the correction of current systematic definitions, interpretation of endemic taxa and evaluation of possible relationships with the already known karyotypic forms in Ethiopia and abroad. As a result of this study, four new karyotypes are manifested and five karyotypic descriptions already known for Ethiopian species are confirmed.