A COMPARATIVE-STUDY OF MITOTIC AND MEIOTIC CHROMOSOMES OF THE MONTANDON NEWT, TRITURUS-MONTANDONI (URODELA, SALAMANDRIDAE) FROM POLAND AND ROMANIA

A karyological analysis was carried out on two populations of Triturus montandoni, one from Poland and another from Rumania. For both sample s, morphometric characteristics and C-banding pattern of mitotic chrom osomes.are provided. Only slight differences between specimens from tw o geographic localities were found. Data on chiasma frequency and dist ribution are presented for male meiosis. No sex-related heteromorphism was found and for none of the chromosomal arms was a consistent absen ce of chiasmata recorded. There was a relatively high proportion of sp ermatocyte metaphases I with chiasmata on both arms of all chromosomes in all specimens studied. It is concluded that there are no well-defi ned sex chromosomes in the chromosomal complement of the male T. monta ndoni. The findings are compared with previous studies on chromosome m orphology, C-banding pattern, and meiosis in closely related species, T. vulgaris and T. helveticus.