Repetitive DNA and polyploidy in selachians.

1. The DNA reassociation kinetics have been studied in 6 selachian species: Raja asterias, Raja montagui, Dasyatis violacea, Torpedo marmorata, Torpedo ocellata and Oxynotus centrina. 2. The results obtained show that the genomes of the two Torpedo, Dasyatis and Oxynotus are polyploid if compared with those of the two rays, though this finds no correspondence in the diploid chromosome number. 3. The phenomena of polyploidization would often be followed by wide chromosome rearrangements and by a progressive divergence of the various repetitive DNA sequences. 4. The existence of polyploidy in almost all the main superorders of living Selachians suggests that this mechanism of genomic evolution may have played an important role in the phylogeny of this class.