Molecular Cytogenetic Evolution of Mammals

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rapid chromosome evolution in canids, BOOK REVIEW skunks, pigs, and equids. The molecular cytogenetic method com- Molecular cytogenetic evolution of monly used is chromosome painting. Few species, mostly primates, have been studied with higher resolution methods such as BAC- mammals FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridization using ...... BAC), which are able to define intrachromo- Chromosomal evolution somal rearrangements and inversions. There is much work to be done at this level. Evolutionary Dynamics of Mammalian Karyotypes. However, chromosome painting has allowed Edited by R Stanyon and A Graphodatsky a large sampling of taxa, whereas sequencing ISSN: 1424-8581 studies have been performed mainly in Published by: Karger, Basel, Switzerland, as Reprint of Cytogenetic and Genome species of economic interest or in species Research, Vol. 137, No. 2–4, 2012, 207 pp. Price CHF: 109, h91, $128 that are of peculiar significance for under- ...... standing human evolution such as the higher Claude Stoll primates. Nonetheless, with the next-genera- tion sequencing, the number of vertebrate ...... species sequenced will highly increase. It is probable that the integration of cytogenetic European Journal of Human Genetics (2013) 21, 1330; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2013.4 and sequencing information will be extre- mely important for resolving issues in cytogenetics such as the reconstruction of his volume reviews and synthesizes the range and do not correlate with the com- ancestral karyotypes, the elimination of Tcytogenetic results obtained in the plexity of the organisms (the C-value para- homoplasy that can plague cytogenetic numerous studies of mammalian chromo- dox). The biology of transposable elements reconstructions, and the distinction of con- some evolution including the recent advances may explain some of the molecular mechan- vergent associations and homologous in molecular cytogenetics. isms that are involved in genome size varia- associations. The study of animal karyotypes showed tion and novelties. Those searching for an answer to the that animals have a great diversity in number The other 13 contributions of the volume, question what makes us human, will not find and morphology of chromosomes despite written by leading experts in the field, details it in this volume. However, one can imagine that their genomes are remarkably conserved. the cytogenetic findings in Marsupialia and that understanding the forces responsible for How can this conservation be resolved? This Monotreme, Xenarthra, Afrotheria, Eulipo- different rates of chromosome evolution and volume try to answer to this question. typhla, Chiroptera, Carnivora and Pholidota, the peculiar characteristics of the mammalian The first contribution of the volume, Cetartiodactyla, Perissodactyla, Sciuromorpha genome will be possible at the sequencing written by the Editors with a bringing of and Lagomorpha, Non-Sciuromorpha Roden- level in the near future. Will this mean that MA Ferguson-Smith, is an overview and a tia, Strepsirrhine Primates, Dermoptera and cytogenetics is no more relevant in evolu- history of the cytogenetic techniques used in Scandentia, new-world monkeys (Platyrrhini), tionary studies? The Editors of this volume the analysis of mammalian karyotypes includ- and Catarrhine Primates (old-world monkeys, do not think so, they think that a closer ing the results obtained, with an emphasis on apes and humans). integration between cytogenetics and sequen- chromosome painting in mammals. Chromo- In this volume, a consistent view of cing efforts will be necessary if cytogeneticists some banding (Q-, G-, R-, and C-banding) chromosome evolution in mammals is pro- want to maintain their relevance in evolu- allowed the workers looking for between- posed. However, more work is needed as tionary studies. species homologies. However, the homologies there is an insufficiency of taxa sampling. This book, available in hardback and in established between distantly related species Even in the more studied mammalian orders, electronic format, is recommended to those remained speculative until the advent of primates and carnivores, only a few species interested in the evolution of the vertebrate molecular cytogenetics and especially chro- have been studied. The study of more species genome and for researchers involved in mosome painting in the late 1980s and early for enormous orders such as rodents and bats mammalian evolution, comparative cytoge- 1990s. Then it became possible to search for should be done as well for other species all netics, molecular cytogenetics, comparative ancestral karyotypes, and to offer original over the mammalian tree, including smaller genomics, primatology, and zoology’ perspectives on genome evolution in mam- clades such as Afrotheria and Xenarthra. mals and in other vertebrates, as well as on Painting comparisons of humans and other syntenic and associational evolution. primates displayed that there is no molecular The second contribution is devoted to clock for chromosome evolution. Different C Stoll is at the Laboratoire de Geńe´tique genome size as the evolution of the main rates of chromosome evolution were Me´dicale, Faculte´ de Me´decine, University of genome signature is its size. However, the reported, for example, the high chromosome Strasbourg, France genome size of several taxa vary over a broad conservation in felids and whales, and the E-mail: [email protected]