KARYOTYPES OF MALLARD (ANAS-PLATYRHYNCHOS) AND MUSCOVY (CAIRINA-MOSCHATA) DUCKS, AND OF THEIR HYBRID

Karyotypes of Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Muscovy (Cairina moscha ta) ducks, and of their hybrid, were carried out using Giemsa staining , CBG, GTG and RBG banding techniques. Metaphase spreads were obtained from fibroblast cultures of embryos. The estimated number of chromoso mes was 80 for both species. Chromosomes of pair 1 were submetacentric , chromosomes of pair 2 metacentric, and the other autosomes acrocentr ic. Sexual chromosome Z was subtelocentric, and chromosome W acrocentr ic. A diagrammatic representation of the firt 12 pairs of autosomes, a nd of the sexual chromosome Z were established (GTG banding). Karyotyp es of the two species were very similar. The only differences involved chromosomes 3, 5,7 and Z.