Karyotypes, constitutive heterochromatin and taxonomy of ringtail opossums of the genus Pseudocheirus (Marsupialia: Petauridae)

Abstract

Karyotypes are presented for three forms of the common ringtail opossum, Pseudocheirus peregrinus. These are tentatively regarded as the subspecies P.p. cookii, P.p. pulcher, and P.p. rubidus. In addition, we report for the first time the karyotype of the rock ringtail opossum, P. dahli. The three forms of P. peregrinus each have a diploid number of 2n = 20. C-banding studies indicate that the addition of large blocks of constitutive heterochromatin has played a major role in the evolution of all chromosomes in the karyotype. The X chromosome of P.p. pulcher is metacentric and approximately twice the relative size of the acrocentric X chromosomes of the other two forms of peregrinus. All three forms had two or three pairs of autosomes with secondary constrictions, a rare occurrence within the superfamily Phalangeroidea. P. (Pseudochirops) dahli has a diploid number of 2n = 16; a reduction in chromosome number may have occurred by Robertsonian fusions. Four of the eight chromosome pairs lack large blocks of C-band material and the secondary constrictions are located on the sex chromosomes.