Open AccessBanding studies on the gray and sperm whale karyotypes
Author(s) -
ÁRNASON ULFUR
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
hereditas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.819
H-Index - 50
eISSN - 1601-5223
pISSN - 0018-0661
DOI - 10.1111/j.1601-5223.1981.tb01418.x
Subject(s) - karyotype , biology , sperm whale , minke whale , whale , zoology , baleen , sperm , chromosome , genetics , fishery , gene , biochemistry , myoglobin , balaenoptera
The karyotypes of the gray and sperm whales were studied by means of banding techniques. The gray whale has 2n=44. The morphology of the karyotype conforms with the 2n=44 general cetacean karyotypes. A considerable part of the karyotype is C‐band positive. The C‐bands occur mainly in interstitial and terminal chromosome positions. The G‐banded karyotype showed obvious similarities to other baleen whale karyotypes, in particular the minke whale. The sperm whale has 2n=42. The karyotype differs strikingly from the 2n=44 cetacean karyotypes, primarily due to the absence of telocentric chromosomes. The C‐band studies of the sperm whale further underlined the dissimilarities between the 2n=44 general cetacean karyotype and that of the sperm whale.