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This paper provides new data on chromosomes of Brazilian vampire bats Desmodus rotundus and Diphylla ecaudata. These species were analyzed by GTG, CBG- and CB-DAPI banding, AgNO3/CMA3 sequential staining, base-specific fluorochrome dyes and in situ hybridization with 18S rDNA probe. C-banding (CBG) revealed constitutive heterochromatin in the pericentromeric regions in all autosomes and the X and Y chromosomes appeared entirely heterochromatic in both species. CB-DAPI revealed a coincident banding pattern to that obtained by CBG. Triple staining CMA3/DA/ DAPI revealed an R-banding and a weak G-banding pattern in the karyotypes. Sequential AgNO3/CMA3 staining showed a NOR located interstitially on the long arm of pair 8 in D.rotundus and on the short arm of pair 13 in D.ecaudata. FISH with a rDNA probe confirmed the location and number of NORs; a difference neither in intensity nor in size of hybridization signal was detected between homologues for both species.

Ten species of small rodents of genus Calomys are found in South America. Three of these ten species are known to occur in Brazil: C. tener, C. laucha and C. expulsus (=C. callosus expulsus). Almost all Calomys karyotypes are made up of acrocentric pairs. In this paper we describe a new karyotype with 2n = 46 (FN = 66), including 11 meta/submetacentric and 11 acrocentric autosomal pairs. This is not related to any described Calomys karyotype. The X chromosome is a medium submetacentric and the Y is a small acrocentric. This new karyotype is briefly compared to karyotype of the sympatric species C. tener (2n = 66, FN = 66). The reduced diploid number and small amount of pericentromeric heterochromatin observed in the biarmed chromosomes that contrasts to large blocks seen in acrocentrics seem to indicate that centric fusion and loss of constitutive heterochromatin have led to the new karyotype. Cytogenetic evidence suggests strongly that a new species with 2n = 46 from Central Brazil should be described in the genus Calomys.

All available published cytogenetic data show the presence of 28 different karyotypes in 311 specimens of A. cursor as an exceptional example of high karyotype variability in a single species. Our present sample of 116 animals collected in the rain forest of the Atlantic coast of the states of São Paulo and Bahia, Brazil, show 25 karyotype constitutions. The diploid number (2n) ranged from 16 to 14, and the number of autosomal arms (NF) from 26 to 18, because of centric fusion and pericentric inversions involving two autosome pairs, pericentric inversions in three other chromosome pairs, trisomy in the pair 7 and the presence of two XO females. Synaptonemal complex analysis, associated with data from experimental cross–breeding, suggested that heterozygous individuals for pericentric inversions have normal fertility. In this paper, we have reviewed the chromosomal data of this species, and have thus standardized the karyotype description and chromosome numbering. We discuss about karyotype evolution of Akodon cursor based on the frequency and constitution of karyotypes of all different geographical samples described so far in the literature.

An extensive karyotype differentiation was found among three species of gymnophthalmid lizard genus Leposoma which occur in the tropical forest areas of Brazil. We examined the chromosomes of the Amazonic species L. guiunense (LOU) and L. oswuldoi (LOS) and the Atlantic forest species L. scincoides (LSC) after conventional and differential staining, and FISH of telomeric sequences. Both Amazonic species shared very similar 2n = 44 karyotypes, including 20 biarmed macrochromosomes and 24 microchromosomes (20 M + 24 m). However, the location of Ag-NORs and the amount of constitutive heterochromatin differed in these karyotypes. The Atlantic forest species L. scincoidrs has a very distinct karyotype with 52 acrocentric and subtelocentric chromosomes of decreasing size. Comparative R-banding analysis revealed complete homeology of the macrochromosomes of LGU and LOS and correspondence of banding patterns between LSC acrocentrics and subtelocentrics and some arms of biarmed LGU and LOS chromosomes. Pair 1 had similar banding patterns in the three species, implying the occurrence of a pericentric inversion. Interstitial telomeric bands (ITBs) detected by FISH at the pericentromeric region of some biarmed LGU and LOS chromosomes could be remnants of chromosomal rearrangements occurred during the differentiation of the karyotypes. Robertsonian rearrangements as well as pericentric inversions events probable were involved in the karyotype evolution of these Amazon and Atlantic forests species of Leposoma.

Cytogenetic investigations based on conventional and differential staining analysis (C-and replication R-banding and Ag-staining) were carried out on eight specimens of Phyllopezus periosus, 17 of P. pollicaris pollicaris, and one of P. pollicaris przewalskii collected from different localities of Brazil. P. periosus and P. p. pollicaris share the same diploid number of 2n = 40 chromosomes, and their karyotypes are very distinctive regarding to the number of biarmed and uniarmed chromosomes. After careful side-by-side comparison of R-banded chromosomes in both taxa, pronounced homology between, at least, eight pairs was revealed. The R-banding patterns allowed us to postulate that karyotype differentiation could be due to pericentric inversion events. P. p. przewalskii (2n = 38) exhibited a very similar karyotype to that found in P. p. pollicaris, except for the presence of one metacentric pair, which probably resulted from a Robertsonian rearrangement. Single and multiple pairs of NOR-bearing chromosomes, showing variation in number and location, were detected among the three forms of Phyllopezus. Similar C-banding patterns were found in P. periosus and P. p. pollicaris. Sex chromosomes were not positively identified.

Comparative cytogenetics studies based on conventional staining, CBG, GTG, RBG-banding, Ag-NOR staining, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) using telomere probes, length measurements, and meiotic data were performed on two related but previously undescribed cricetid species referred to as Oligoryzomys sp. 1 and Oligoryzomys sp. 2, respectively, from Pico das Almas (Bahia: Brazil) and Serra do Cipó (Minas Gerais: Brazil). Oligoryzomys sp. 1 had 2n = 46 and Oligoryzomys sp. 2 had 2n = 44,44/45.Our banding data and measurements as well as FISH results support the hypothesis that the difference between the diploid numbers occurred by centric fusion events. The karyotypes had conspicuous and distinguishable macro- and micro-chromosomes, and we suppose that the largest pairs (1, 2, and 3) have evolved from a higher diploid number because of successive tandem fusion mechanisms.