THE DIAGNOSTICS AND ECOLOGICAL PECULIARIT IES OF 3 CHROMOSOME FORMS OF SPINY RATS OF THE GENUS PROECHIMYS FROM PERUVIAN AMAZONIA

The study of spiny rats was carried out in 1990-91 near the biological station Henaro - Errera (province Recena, department Loreto, Peru). T hree morphologically similar chromosome forms with the sets of 28, 32 and 34 chromosomes resp., as well as 8 albuminous loci, were detected. The diagnostic significance of these characters nd their correlation with ecological features are discussed. The form with 28 chromosomes i s the most eurytopic and, probably, the most plastic one. The 32-chrom osome one is the most stenotopic and, probably, most sensitive to envi ronmental changes.