CYTOGENETIC STUDY OF THE GENUS SAGUINUS (CALLITHRICHIDAE, PRIMATES)

Eight subspecies from the genus Saguinus (S. fuscicollis fuscicollis, S. fuscicollis weddelli, S. bicolor bicolor, S. bicolor martinsi, S. m ystax mystax. S, imperator imperator, S. midas midas, and S. midas nig er) were studied. Five of them (S. f. fuscicollis, S. f. weddelli, S. b. martinsi, S. In. mystax and S. i. imperator) had their karyotypes d escribed for the first time. Conventional coloration, banding patterns G, C and NOR, and G/C sequential banding tecniques were used. All sam ples showed the same diploid number (2n = 46). The patterns of the G, C and NOR bands were very similar with little differences in the quant ity and constitutive heterochromatin distribution of the autosomes. Co nstitutive heterochromatin was observed only in telomeric regions of s ome chromosomes of S. f. fuscicollis and S. f. weddelli. The X chromos ome was the same in all subspecies, but chromosome Y differed in size and morphology. XX/XY chimerism was verified in all subspecies.