Abstract:
Chromosomal analyses of the common sun skink (Eutropis multifasciata) from mitotic and meiotic cell divisions were studied. Blood samples were taken from five male and five female skinks. Skink chromosome preparations were conducted by the squash technique from the bone marrow and testis. The chromosomes were stained by conventional staining and Ag-NOR banding techniques. The results showed that the diploid chromosome number of E. multifasciata was 2n=32, the fundamental number (NF) was 48 in both males and females. The types of chromosomes were present as 6 large metacentric, 2 large submetacentric, 6 small metacentric, 2 small submetacentric, 2 small telocentric macrochromosomes and 14 microchromosomes. There was no irregularly sized chromosome related to sex. We also observed distinctive nucleolar organizer regions (NORs) at the region adjacent to the short arms near the telomere of a pair of the largest metacentric chromosomes. We found that during diakinesis (prophase I) the homologous chromosomes showed synapsis, which can be defined as the 16 bivalents and 16 haploid chromosomes at metaphase II as diploid species. The karyotype formula of E. multifasciata is as stated: 2n (diploid) 32=L6+L2+S6+S2+S 2+14 microchromosomes
