Karyotypic analyses and morphological comments on the endemic and endangered Brazilian painted tree rat Callistomys pictus (Rodentia, Echimyidae)

The genus Callistomys belongs to the rodent family Echimyidae, subfamily Echimyinae, and its only living representative is Callistomys pictus, a rare and vulnerable endemic species of the state of Bahia, Brazil. Callistomys has been previously classified as Nelomys, Loncheres, Isothrix and Echimys. In this paper we present the karyotype of Callistomys pictus, including CBG and GTG-banding patterns and silver staining of the nucleolus organizer regions (Ag-NORs). Comments on Callistomys pictus morphological traits and a compilation of Echimyinae chromosomal data are also included. Our analyses revealed that Callistomys can be recognized both by its distintinctive morphology and by its karyotype.

Phylogenetic relationships and karyotype evolution in the sigmodontine rodent Akodon (2n = 10 and 2n = 16) from Brazil

Comparison of G-bands from 2n = 10 and 2n = 16 karyotypes of Akodon revealed tandem fusions, pericentric inversions and Robertsonian rearrangement in autosomes and addition/deletion of constitutive heterochromatin in sex chromosomes. Cytochrome-b sequences indicate that the 2n = 10 karyotype is a new species and show it to be a sister taxon of the 2n = 14, 2n = 15 and 2n = 16 karyotypes. Indeed, this group shows a particular evolutionary situation in which a unique taxonomic unit based on morphological data can be detected, but, karyologically, it can be separated into two groups (2n = 14-15-16 and 2n = 10). Cytochrome-b sequences show a finer resolution, indicating that these four karyotypes represent three molecular entities (2n = 14-15, 2n = 16 and 2n = 10) that may be derived from a common ancestor with a 2n = 16 karyotype.

Nine karyomorphs for spiny rats of the genus Proechimys (Echimyidae, Rodentia) from North and Central Brazil

Spiny rats of the genus Proechimys are morphologically diverse, widely distributed and have diploid numbers ranging from 2n = 14-16 to 2n = 62. In this paper we present cytogenetical data and brief comments on morphological and biogeographical issues related to spiny rats. In our sample of 42 spiny rats collected from 12 Brazilian Amazonian tropical rainforest and the Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) sites we detected nine karyological entities: four different karyomorphs with 2n = 30, three with 2n = 28, one with 2n = 15 and one with 2n = 44. Based on qualitative morphological characters these karyomorphs can be allocated to five species within the goeldii, guyannensis and longicaudatus species groups