Karyological variation of Clethrionomys glareolus (Mammalia: Rodentia) from Türkiye

Abstract

Conventionally stained, C- banded and AgNOR stained karyotypes of Clethrionomys glareolus was studied from Samsun, Türkiye. Diploid chromosome number of a female C. glareolus specimen was found as 2n = 56, NFa = 56, and NF = 58. The karyotype consisted of a pair of small metacentric and 26 pairs of acrocentric chromosomes in different size. The X chromosomes were large acrocentrics. Similar to the result of past karyotype study on C. glareolus, the C-positive and C-negative heterochromatin blocks observed in the karyotype. As a difference from the results of a previous study, NORs were localized on the six acrocentric chromosome pairs instead seven pairs. Thus, a chromosomal variation among C. glareolus populations was determined due to variability in the number of NOR bearing autosomes. In this way, it was contributed to the determination of intraspecific variations of this species and to Türkiye's biodiversity at the level of genetic diversity.