Abstract
Chromosomes of the Indian spiny mouse (Mus platythrix) are studied by the conventional and banding techniques with special reference to their origin. This species has 2n, 26 comprizing 12 acrocentric autosome pairs and acrocentric X and Y chromosomes. The comparison of G- and C-banded chromosomes and the measurement of the chromosome length between the spiny mouse and the house mouse (M. musculus), have made it possible to suggest that 8 autosome pairs (nos. 1 to 8) of the former species have been derived from the tandem fusion of two acrocentric pairs of the latter species. In this case, about 12.8per cent of the centromere and telomere regions of chromosomes seems to be lost from the original karyotype to construct the new formation.
