Karyological study of Amphisbaena ridleyi (Squamata, Amphisbaenidae), an endemic species of the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil

Marcia Maria Laguna,Renata Cecília Amaro,Yatiyo Yonenaga-Yassuda,Tamí Mott,Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues

doi:10.1590/s1415-47572010005000009

Marcia Maria Laguna, Renata Cecília Amaro + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1415-47572010005000009

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Abstract

The karyotype of Amphisbaena ridleyi, an endemic species of the archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, in State of Pernambuco, Brazil, is described after conventional staining, Ag-NOR impregnation and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a telomeric probe. The diploid number is 46, with nine pairs of macrochromosomes (three metacentrics, four subtelocentrics and two acrocentrics) and 14 pairs of microchromosomes. The Ag-NOR is located in the telomeric region of the long arm of metacentric chromosome 2 and FISH revealed signals only in the telomeric region of all chromosomes. Further cytogenetic data on other amphisbaenians as well as a robust phylogenetic hypothesis of this clade is needed in order to understand the evolutionary changes on amphisbaenian karyotypes.

Highlights

Short CommunicationKaryological study of Amphisbaena ridleyi (Squamata, Amphisbaenidae), an endemic species of the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil
Amphisbaenians, or worm lizards, are a monophyletic group of squamates mostly distributed nowadays in Africa and South America (Gans, 1990, 2005; Kearney, 2003; Kearney and Stuart, 2004; Macey et al, 2004)
Baena leberi and A. innocens (Huang and Gans, 1971; Beçak et al, 1971a, 1972; Cole and Gans, 1987). This variability is in strong contrast with the conserved karyotype composed by 36 chromosomes (12M + 24m) found in many groups of lizards and considered as the primitive karyotype within Squamata (Olmo, 1986)

Summary

Short Communication

Karyological study of Amphisbaena ridleyi (Squamata, Amphisbaenidae), an endemic species of the Archipelago of Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco, Brazil. Marcia Maria Laguna, Renata Cecília Amaro, Tamí Mott, Yatiyo Yonenaga-Yassuda and Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues2 1Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Marcia Maria Laguna, Renata Cecília Amaro, Tamí Mott, Yatiyo Yonenaga-Yassuda and Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues2 1Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. 2Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. 3Instituto de Biociências, Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

Zygaspis quadrifrons

Findings

Diplometopon zarudnyi