The creeping vole, Microtus oregoni: karyotype and sex-chromosome differences between two geographical populations

Abstract

The G-banded karyotype of the creeping vole, Microtus oregoni, prepared from animals trapped in Oregon and Washington, is presented. The two populations had similar autosomal banding patterns but exhibited striking differences in their sex chromosomes. The X chromosome of voles captured in Oregon was 39% longer than that of voles trapped in Washington. The length difference was primarily due to an increase in size of light G-bands, which, in both populations, comprised large segments of the X chromosome. On C-banding, the X chromosome exhibited major blocks of constitutive heterochromatin corresponding to the light G-bands. In contrast, the Y chromosome of the Oregon voles was 24% shorter than that of the Washington voles and lacked the short arm and some terminal bands present in the Washington voles.