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Background The family Phyllostomidae (Chiroptera) shows wide morphological, molecular and cytogenetic variation; many disagreements regarding its phylogeny and taxonomy remains to be resolved. In this study, we use chromosome painting with whole chromosome probes from the Phyllostomidae Phyllostomus hastatus and Carollia brevicauda to determine the rearrangements among several genera of the Nullicauda group (subfamilies Gliphonycterinae, Carolliinae, Rhinophyllinae and Stenodermatinae). Results These data, when compared with previously published chromosome homology maps, allow the construction of a phylogeny comparable to those previously obtained by morphological and molecular analysis. Our phylogeny is largely in agreement with that proposed with molecular data, both on relationships between the subfamilies and among genera; it confirms, for instance, that Carollia and Rhinophylla, previously considered as part of the same subfamily are, in fact, distant genera. Conclusions The occurrence of the karyotype considered ancestral for this family in several different branches suggests that the diversification of Phyllostomidae into many subfamilies has occurred in a short period of time. Finally, the comparison with published maps using human whole chromosome probes allows us to track some syntenic associations prior to the emergence of this family.

Flow karyotypes used for measurements of four marsupial species

Universidade Federal do Par?. Instituto de Ci?ncias Biol?gicas. Programa de P?s-gradua??o em Gen?tica e Biologia Molecular. Bel?m, PA, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Par?. Instituto de Ci?ncias Biol?gicas. Programa de P?s-gradua??o em Gen?tica e Biologia Molecular. Bel?m, PA, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Par?. Instituto de Ci?ncias Biol?gicas. Programa de P?s-gradua??o em Gen?tica e Biologia Molecular. Bel?m, PA, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Programa de P?s-gradua??o em Gen?tica e Biologia Molecular. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. University of Cambridge. Department of Veterinary Medicine. Cambridge, UK. University of Cambridge. Department of Veterinary Medicine. Cambridge, UK. Universidade Federal do Par?. Instituto de Ci?ncias Exatas e Naturais. Bel?m, PA, Brasil / Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil. The hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin M?ller, 1776) is a folivorous bird, endemic to the Amazonian region. It presents some unique characteristics, including wing claws and foregut fermentation, which make its phylogenetic relationship to other birds difficult to determine. There have been various attempts to place it among the Galliformes, Gruiformes, Musophagiformes, Cuculiformes, and Charadriiformes, but phylogenetic analyses always show low supporting values. Nowadays, the hoatzin is included in the monotypic order Opisthocomiformes, but the relationship of this order to other groups of birds is still unclear. Although its karyotype resembles the typical avian model, fissions of the syntenic groups corresponding to chicken chromosomes 1 and 2 and 2 fusions were found. The presence of 18S rDNA clusters in 2 pairs of microchromosomes is another derived character. Hence, different rearrangements were detected in the karyotype of the hoatzin, indicating it has been derived from the putative ancestral karyotype by the occurrence of fissions and fusions. However, as these rearrangements are not exclusive to O. hoazin, they do not clarify the phylogenetic position of this enigmatic species.

This study received financial support from Instituto Evandro Chagas. This study was also supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cient?fico e Tecnol?gico (CNPq) and the Funda??o de Amparo a Pesquisa do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS). Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Programa de P?s-gradua??o em Gen?tica e Biologia Molecular - PPGBM. Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil / University of Cambridge. Department of Veterinary Medicine. Cambridge Resource Centre for Comparative Genomics. Cambridge, UK. Universidade Federal do Par?. Programa de P?s-gradua??o em Gen?tica e Biologia Molecular - PPGBM. Bel?m, PA, Brazil. Universidade Federal do Pampa. Programa de P?s-gradua??o em Ci?ncias Biol?gicas - PPGCB. S?o Gabriel, RS, Brazil. Universidade Federal do Pampa. Programa de P?s-gradua??o em Ci?ncias Biol?gicas - PPGCB. S?o Gabriel, RS, Brazil. University of Cambridge. Department of Veterinary Medicine. Cambridge Resource Centre for Comparative Genomics. Cambridge, UK. University of Cambridge. Department of Veterinary Medicine. Cambridge Resource Centre for Comparative Genomics. Cambridge, UK. University of Cambridge. Department of Veterinary Medicine. Cambridge Resource Centre for Comparative Genomics. Cambridge, UK. Universidade Federal do Par?. Instituto de Ci?ncias Exatas e Naturais. Bel?m, PA, Brazil / Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Laborat?rio de Cultura de Tecidos e Citogen?tica. Ananindeua, PA, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Programa de P?s-gradua??o em Gen?tica e Biologia Molecular - PPGBM. Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Abstract: Pigeons and doves (Columbiformes) are one of the oldest and most diverse extant lineages of birds. However, the karyotype evolution within Columbiformes remains unclear. To delineate the synteny-conserved segments and karyotypic differences among four Columbidae species, we used chromosome painting from Gallus gallus (GGA, 2n?=?78) and Leucopternis albicollis (LAL, 2n?=?68). Besides that, a set of painting probes for the eared dove, Zenaida auriculata (ZAU, 2n?=?76), was generated from flow-sorted chromosomes. Chromosome painting with GGA and ZAU probes showed conservation of the first ten ancestral pairs in Z. auriculata, Columba livia, and Columbina picui, while in Leptotila verreauxi, fusion of the ancestral chromosomes 6 and 7 was observed. However, LAL probes revealed a complex reorganization of ancestral chromosome 1, involving paracentric and pericentric inversions. Because of the presence of similar intrachromosomal rearrangements in the chromosomes corresponding to GGA1q in the Columbidae and Passeriformes species but without a common origin, these results are consistent with the recent proposal of divergence within Neoaves (Passerea and Columbea). In addition, inversions in chromosome 2 were identified in C. picui and L. verreauxi. Thus, in four species of distinct genera of the Columbidae family, unique chromosomal rearrangements have occurred during karyotype evolution, confirming that despite conservation of the ancestral syntenic groups, these chromosomes have been modified by the occurrence of intrachromosomal rearrangements

Universidade Federal do Paran?. Programa de P?s Gradua??o em Gen?tica. Laborat?rio de Citogen?tica e Gen?tica da Conserva??o Animal. Curitiba, PR, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Pampa. Programa de P?s Gradua??o em Ci?ncias Biol?gicas. Laborat?rio de Diversidade Gen?tica Animal. S?o Gabriel, RS, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Programa de P?s Gradua??o em Gen?tica e Biologia Molecular. Laborat?rio de Citogen?tica e Evolu??o. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Programa de P?s Gradua??o em Gen?tica e Biologia Molecular. Laborat?rio de Citogen?tica e Evolu??o. Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil. Minist?rio da Sa?de. Secretaria de Vigil?ncia em Sa?de. Instituto Evandro Chagas. Laborat?rio de Cultura de Tecidos e Citogen?tica. Ananindeua, PA, Brasl / Universidade Federal do Par?. Instituto de Ci?ncias Exatas e Naturais. Faculdade de Ci?ncias Naturais. Bel?m, PA, Brazil. Universidade Federal do Pampa. Programa de P?s Gradua??o em Ci?ncias Biol?gicas. Laborat?rio de Diversidade Gen?tica Animal. S?o Gabriel, RS, Brasil. University of Cambridge. Department of Veterinary Medicine. Genomics. Cambridge, UK Trogons are forest birds with a wide distribution, being found in Africa, Asia, and America, and are included in the order Trogoniformes, family Trogonidae. Phylogenetic studies using molecular data have not been able to determine the phylogenetic relationship among the different genera of trogons. So far, no cytogenetic data for these birds exist. Hence, the aim of this study was to characterize the karyotype of Trogon surrucura surrucura by means of classical and molecular cytogenetics. We found a diploid chromosome number of 2n = 82, similar to most birds, with several derived features compared to chicken and the putative ancestral avian karyotype. T. s. surrucura showed 3 pairs of microchromosomes bearing 18S rDNA clusters. The Z and W sex chromosomes were of similar size but could readily be identified by morphological differences. Using chromosome painting with whole chromosome probes from Gallus gallus and Leucopternis albicollis, we found that the chromosomes homologous to chicken chromosomes 2 and 5 correspond to 2 different pairs in T. s. surrucura and L. albicollis, due to the occurrence of centric fissions. Paracentric inversions were detected in the segment homologous to chicken chromosome 1q, and we confirmed the recurrence of breakpoints when our results were compared to other species of birds already analyzed by FISH or by in silico genome assembly.