Karyotypic Variations in Three Indian Species of the Genus Rana (Anura: Ranidae) from the Western Ghats, India

Abstract

SummaryThe karyotype and C-banding analysis of somatic metaphase chromosomes were attempted on 3 species of Indian frogs (Rana curtipes, R. temporalis, R. malabarica) which are distributed in the Western Ghats, Southwest India. All had 2nϭ26 chromosomes with invariably 5 pairs of large and 8 pairs of small chromosomes. Metacentric and submetcentric chromosomes were found in the complement, the former more common than the latter. A secondary constriction with a prominent satellite in the short arm of nos. 10 and 12 chromosomes are unique only in R. curtipes. The Cpositive telomeric bands were localized in the short arms of nos. 9 and 10 chromosomes of R. temporalis. Non-centric C-positive bands were observed in the distal half of the long arm of no. 10 chromosome of R. malabarica. None of the 3 species had an identifiable sex chromosome. There were variations in the centromeric position and secondary constriction of chromosome pair nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 11 and 12. These variations might have arisen due to pericentric inversions. It seems likely from the inversion studies that R. curtipes and R. temporalis are chromosomally more closely related than R. malabarica. Comparative account of karyotypes are discussed.

Comparative Chromosome Studies of Five Species of the Genus Fejervarya (Anura: Ranidae) from South India

“…Pair nos. 10, 12 and 13 exhibited telomeric C-bands on both arms in R. malabarica (Joshy et al 2006). The telomeric C-bands were rather common in the genera Mantella and Mantidactylus (Odierna et al 2001).…”

Features of the karyotypes of Pelophylax ridibundus Pallas, 1771 and Rana macrocnemis Boulenger, 1885 (Amphibia: Ranidae) from Armenia

“…Karyotypes of more than 300 studied species of the genera Rana Linnaeus, 1758 and Pelophylax Fitzinger 1883 are characterized by a standard chromosome number of 2n=26 (sometimes 22 or 24) including metacentric, submetacentric and subtelocentric chromosomes (Morescalchi, 1973(Morescalchi, , 1977Ivanov, Madjanov, 1973;Schmid, 1978;Schmid et al, 1990;Orlova et al, 1978;Birstein, 1984;King, 1990;Kuramoto, 1990;Green, Borkin, 1993;Miura, 1995;Alpagut, Falakali, 1995;Spasič-Bošković, 1999;Al-Shehri, Al-Salech, 2005;Suryadnaya, 2003;Kaibeleva et al, 2004;Joshy et al, 2006;Mindrescui, Ghiorghyk, 2008).…”

Orta Anadolu’daki Bataklık Kurbağası, Rana ridibunda (Ranidae: Anura)’nın C-Bantlı Karyotipi ve Nükleolar Organizatör Bölgeleri (NORs)

“…Unlike our samples, they detected 7 of R. temporalis and R. curtipes and in three pairs of chromosomes of R. malabarica. Joshy et al 15 argued that the chromosomes which have telomeric bands differed according to the species and this case was a distinctive feature for these three species. It is inferred from these results that all Rana species all over the world have centromeric bands while some of them have also telomeric bands.…”

“…10) in the Arabia population of this species as in Europe and Turkey samples. Joshy et al 15 determined satellite in two pairs of chromosomes of R. curtipes via giemsa staining technique in a study they did in India. But these NORs exist in terminal parts of short arms not long arms unlike R. ridibunda.…”