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Cyto-genetic studies in Indian honey-bees

I. Somatic chromosome complement inApis indica and its bearing on evolution and phylogeny

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Proceedings / Indian Academy of Sciences

XII. Summary

Normal somatic complement inA. indica consists of 32 chromosomes in female and 16 in male. Karyo-typic analysis of haploid males shows eight homomorphic pairs indicating distinct somatic association (2m.c.+2s.m.c.+4s.t.c.).

Excepting the gonial and epithelial layers of blastoderm, other tissues show polysomatic increase in euploid or aneuploid numbers through repeated endomitosis.

In view of occurrence of eight homomorphic pairs in the male showing somatic association, it is inferred that the male, thoughj numerically haploid is genetically diploid thus the famale being a tetraploid. This is supported by control of certain characters by multiple genes without linkage and diploid, constitution ofA. florea having 16 chromosomes in female and 8 in male.

It is suggested thatA. indica originated from primitive diploid by (1) polyploidy combined with adaptive mutations for multiple enclosed comb habits or (2) hybridization at diploid level among closely relatedApis andTrigona followed by polyploidy during pleistocene glaciation in the Indo-Malayan region.

PrimitiveA. indica gradually evolved intoA. mellifera which differentiated further into a number of African, Eurasian and Sino-Japanese races during the course of the passage through the three main northern migratory routes of the Himalayas.

Bearings of these observations on the practical problems of breeding better strains of Indian bees are discussed.

Investigations on comparative cyto-genetics of Indian species ofApis, Trigona and related genera are in progress.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Apicultural Laboratory, Mahabaleshwar

    G. B. Deodikar, C. V. Thakar & Pushpa N. Shah

  2. Bombay Village Industries Board, Mahabaleshwar, District—North Satara, Bombay State, India

    G. B. Deodikar, C. V. Thakar & Pushpa N. Shah

Authors
  1. G. B. Deodikar
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  2. C. V. Thakar
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  3. Pushpa N. Shah
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Additional information

Communicated by Prof. L. S. S. Kumar,f.a.sc.

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Deodikar, G.B., Thakar, C.V. & Shah, P.N. Cyto-genetic studies in Indian honey-bees. Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. 49, 194–206 (1959). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03051656

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