A Comparative Study of the Chromosomes in 5 Species of Birds from the Genus Aratinga (Psittaciformes: Aves)

Abstract

Karyotypes were compared in 5 species of Aratinga (Psittaciformes). The macrochromosomes of each species were analysed by the conventional Giemsa staining, with cytobiometry, and G- and C-banding. All the species showed 2n=70 chromosomes. These karyotypic data are compared to those in the literature on nine other parrot species. The reduced chromosome number in Aratinga was attributed to the fusion of microchromosomes into macrochromosomes.