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Chromosome relationships and meiotic mechanisms of certain morsitans group tsetse flies and their hybrids

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Abstract

There are three pairs of euchromatic components, the L1 and L2 autosomes and the X chromosome pair respectively, which are found in both G. austeni and the three forms of G. morsitans. Each species/sub-species also includes in its complement a group of heterochromatic autosomes (S) which have various morphologies and differ in number both within and between the species/sub-species. Several lines of evidence are outlined which point to these being supernumerary B chromosomes. Male meiosis is normally achiasmate and only L1 and L2 autosomes pair completely. X-Y association is restricted to a small pairing segment the position of which on the X is constant for all the species/sub-species. It is located in one of two positions on the Y chromosome according to the species/sub-species. The S chromosomes behave as hereditary univalents at first anaphase while the sex bivalent can undergo “distance pairing” best exemplified in G. austeni and G. submorsitans. A Y structural mutant line gives some indication of the size of the pairing segment and demonstrates that survival and maleness is possible even when two-thirds of the chromosome is missing. Meiotic and polytene chromosome studies connected with hybridisation experiments designed to test the sterility factor as a potential means of tsetse control assist in establishing the evolutionary relationship of the subspecies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Manchester, England

    D. I. Southern & P. E. Pell

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  1. D. I. Southern
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  2. P. E. Pell
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Southern, D.I., Pell, P.E. Chromosome relationships and meiotic mechanisms of certain morsitans group tsetse flies and their hybrids. Chromosoma 44, 319–334 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00291026

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00291026

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