CHROMOSOMAL DIVERSIFICATION IN THE GEKKONID TARENTOLA-MAURITANICA (REPTILIA, GEKKONIDAE)

Chromosomes of various specimens belonging to four Italian and three A frican populations of Tarentola mauritanica were processed by Giemsa s tandard staining, by C-, G-, Ag-NOR, DAPI-banding methods and Alu I an d Hae III endonuclease digestions. All specimens displayed a karyotype of 2n = 42 chromosomes, most of which were acrocentric and gradually decreasing in length. The karyotypes of the populations investigated p roved different in the length of the short arms of acrocentric chromos omes, the number of dibrachial chromosomes and NOR localization. The p resumptive chromosomal rearrangements are here indicated, and the impl ications of intraspecific diversification are discussed. Lastly, heter ochromatin resistant to two common endonucleases may represent a relev ant marker in the African Gekkoninae phylogenesis.