Hybrids in Marsupial Research

Abstract

Many species from the superfamily Macropodoidea hybridise in captivity despite chromosomal and/or morphological differences. Details of such hybrids were collected from the literature or by personal communications from researchers or breeders of macropods. A Table of known hybrids and notes on their fertilities is presented, which includes the chromosome numbers and differences in gross and C-banded karyotypes of each parental species. Also included in the table are the numbers of proteins known to differ in electrophoretic mobility between each pair of parental species, and the number of proteins which are polymorphic in either of the two parental species. This table, therefore, can be used in gene mapping studies for assessing which hybrids carry suitable chromosomal and genetic markers and might be fertile. Four different interspecific crosses have already been reported as fertile, and artificial methods of increasing fertility could increase the likelihood of producing fertile hybrids. Moreover, the variety of hybrids and their different degrees of fertility show that they are potentially valuable for studying the effects of genic and chromosomal heterozygosity on growth and development, meiotic processes and spermatogenesis.