Apparent triploidy in the unisexual brahminy blind snake, Ramphotyphlops braminus. American Museum novitates ; no. 2868
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Abstract
"Specimens of Ramphotyphlops braminus (all females) from hawaii, the Seychelles, and south Florida, were karyotyped and compared to other typhlopid species. thechromosome number of R. braminus is 42, compared to 2n = 32 for the diploid species Rhinotyphlops schlegelii and Typhlops simoni, and 2n = 34 for Typhlops jamaicensis and T. richardi. The higher number of chromosomes found in R. braminus is best explained by interpreting the karyotype to be triploid, and the chromosomes can easily be grouped into triplets. With the triploid interpretation, few Robertsonian changes are necessary to explain differences between the haploid karyotypes of R. braminus and T. jamaicensis, with which it is directly compared. Furthermore, the electrophoretic pattern of one dimeric protein, heterozygous in all five individuals from the Seychelles, is best interpreted as having a 1:4:4 pattern, consistent with an interpretation that R. braminus is triploid. Chromosomal heteromorphisms found in all individuals from the three populations are consistent with evidence that R, braminus is parthenogenetic, regardless of the interpretation of ploidy level"--P. []1.
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Includes bibliographical references (p. 6-7).