The Journal of Heredity 1998:89(1)
© 1998 The American Genetic Association 89:96-100
Brief communication. Centric fusion polymorphisms in waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus)
Twenty-six captive individuals of the ellipsiprymnus subspecies of Kobus ellipsiprymnus were found to have chromosomal complements of 2n = 50-52 (FN = 61-62), and 26 of the defassa subspecies group, including three specimens from Lake Nakuru National Park, Kenya, had complements of 2n = 53-54 (FN = 62). G-banded karyotypes that were numbered according to the standard karyotype of Bos taurus revealed that variation in diploid number was the result of polymorphism for two independent centric (Robertsonian) fusions. The ellipsiprymnus group was polymorphic for a 7;11 centric fusion. Both elements of chromosome pairs 7 and 11 were fused in fusion homozygotes (2n = 50); in fusion heterozygotes (2n = 51), only one element of each pair was fused. The 7;11 fusion was lacking in specimens