EVOLUTION OF CHROMOSOME-Y IN PRIMATES

We have investigated, by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), th e cytogenetic evolution of the Y chromosome in primates using 17 yeast artificial chromosomes, representative of the Y-specific euchromatic region of the human chromosome Y. The FISH experiments were performed on great apes (Homo sapiens, Pan troglodytes, Gorilla gorilla and Pong o pygmaeus pygmaeus), and on two Old World monkeys species as an outgr oup (Cercopitecidae Macaca fascicularis and Papio anubis). The results showed that this peculiar chromosome has undergone rapid and unconstr ained evolution both in sequence content and organization.