CARYOLOGIA Vol. 57, no. 2: 177-183, 2004

Genetic discontinuity and evolutionary scenario among Neotropical and Old World (Aves: Apodi- formes: Apodidae)

Rodrigo A. Torres1*, Moˆnica L. Adam2 and Juliano Ribeiro1

1 Laborato´ rio de Genoˆ mica Evolutiva e Ambiental − * Departamento de Zoologia − Setor de Cieˆncias Biolo´ gicas − Universidade Federal do Parana´ − UFPR − CEP 81531-990 − Curitiba, PR, Brazil. Phone 55(41) 361-1558. Fax 55(41) 266-2042. E-mail: [email protected]. 2 Laborato´ rio de Citogene´tica − Centro Universita´rio Positivo − UnicenP − Curitiba, PR, Brazil.

Abstract — The karyotypes of Streptoprocne biscutata and Streptoprocne zonaris were compared in order to under- stand the process of karyotype evolution in the family Apodidae in the Neotropical region. The comparisons revealed an extreme similarity between each other although some subtle differences could be also identified and some events that could have gave arise to such differences are purposed. In addition global karyotypical analyses were made in- volving all of Apodidae taxa with their karyotypes known until nowadays. A wide discussion is also made involving a purpose about the taxonomic status of an Old World Apodidae species and about an understanding concerning the evolutionary scenario of the karyotype through the evolutionary scale of some Apodidae clades. Key words: Apodidae chromosomes, Apodidae evolution, Apodidae , Avian cytogenetics, swifts.

INTRODUCTION Therefore, this paper focuses the understanding concerning the karyotype evolution inside the Neo- The order is poorly known by the tropical Apodidae (Streptoprocne biscutata and Strep- cytogenetic view. Among 428 species known just 5 toprocne zonaris) and between these and the others of them have their karyotypes described. In Hirun- Apodidae species with their karyotypes known until dapus caudacutus the diploid number of 64 chromo- nowadays, considering that no approach such as the somes with 12 macrochromosomes and 52 micro- present study is available in the literature. chromosomes was observed and another species, pacificus was characterized by present 2n=62 (14 macrochromosomes and 48 microchromosomes MATERIAL AND METHODS − Xiaozhuang et al. 1988). Apus affinis affinis had its karyotype determined with 2n=±70 being 7 mac- The karyotypes of Streptoprocne biscutata and Strep- rochromosome pairs and 28 microchromosome toprocne zonaris from the Vila Velha Statewide Park, in pairs (Yadav et al. 1995). the city of Ponta Grossa, state of Parana´, Brazil and pre- In the tropical region three species for the genus viously described by Ribeiro et al. (2003) were com- Streptoprocne are recognized: S. semicolaris (endemic pared. from Mexico), S. biscutata and S. zonaris from South Were also compared the karyotypes of America. The karyotypes of South American species caudacutus, Apus pacificus and Apus affinis affinis based on the descriptions made available by Xiaozhuang et were described by Ribeiro et al. (2003) and were Yadav verified for S. biscutata 2n=64 (18 macrochromo- al. (1988) and et al. (1995). The relative lengths of the macrochromosomes somes and 46 microchromosomes). In Streptoprocne were determined by the procedures described by Le- zonaris it was verified the existence of a 2n=66 (18 van et al. (1964). The karyotypical ideograms were macrochromosomes and 48 microchromosomes). made respecting exactly the proportion of chromo- somes from the plates published by Xiaozhuang et al. (1988), Yadav et al. (1995) and Ribeiro et al. (2003). Indeed, the same were still partially modified from the original plates of Hirundapus caudacutus, Apus pacificus * Corresponding author: Fax 55(41) 266-2042. e-mail: and Apus affinis affinis being considered more distin- [email protected]. guishable acrocentric pairs (underlined − Figure 1). 178 torres, adam and ribeiro

Fig. 1 — Scheme representing the Furnas Complex at the Statewide Park of Vila Velha, Ponta Grossa, state of Parana´, South of Brazil. The dotted square (Fuma 1) detaches the capture place of Streptoprocne biscutata and S. zonaris. Modified from Matoso et al. (2002).

The purposes about the evolutionary scenario (Fig- Among them two could be considered concerned ure 3) of the karyotype through some Apodidae clades with the occurrence of these punctual differences be- were elaborated considering the cladogram proposed Lee tween the Streptoprocne species. by et al. (1996) as the evolutionary basis for our The first hypothesis, but not necessarily the most considerations. probable one, given its complexity and double di- rection would be the occurrence of a pericentric in- version involving probably the larger acrocentric RESULTS AND DISCUSSION pair of Streptoprocne zonaris and the larger submeta- centric pair of S. biscutata (Figure 2A). This purpose The karyotypes of Streptoprocne biscutata and of involvement of these chromosomes in the process Streptoprocne zonaris revealed a variation in the dip- mentioned above is supported by the idea of a simi- loid number ranging to ±2 chromosomes (Ribeiro et al., 2003). larity in the relative lengths of their submetacentric When their partial karyotypes are compared it is and acrocentric pairs (Figures 1 and 2). The second still possible to observe the clear similarity between hypothesis and probably the most consistent one, both karyotypes. Some punctual differences are also given the requirement of the least cellular energy, present and are represented by the presences of an would be the occurrence of a large deletion in the additional submetacentric pair in S. biscutata and an short arm of one of the submetacentric pairs (3rd or − additional acrocentric pair in S. zonaris as it was pre- 4th pairs Figure 2B) of S. biscutata giving arise − viously described by Ribeiro et al. (2003). probably to an acrocentric pair (7th or 8th pairs According to Ribeiro et al. (2003) probably very Figure 2). Such ideas related to the target (submeta- few chromosomal rearrangements would be in- centrics indicated in S. biscutata − Figure 2) as much volved in the karyotype differentiation of the South as the result (acrocentrics indicated in S. zonaris − American Streptoprocne species and it seems that the Figure 2) of that deletion are also based on the fact occurrence of karyotypical homeostasis may be a fea- that the relative lengths of the long arms of the 3 rd ture within the genus (Figure 1) suggesting that and the 4 th pairs (submetacentrics) of S. biscutata Streptoprocne can be a monophyletic genus. Never- are quite similar to the relative lengths of the men- theless, several hypotheses could be still developed tioned acrocentrics of S. zonaris. In addition the re- concerning the origin of these punctual differences. sulting acentric fragments could be confused with genetic discontinuity in apodidae 179

Fig. 2 — Idiogram representing the summary of the karyotypical data known for the Neotropical and Old World Apodidae species: Streptoprocne biscutata (a); Streptoprocne zonaris (b); Apus pacificus (c); Hirundapus caudacutus (d); Apus affinis affinis (d). M= metacentrics; SM= submetacentrics; A= acrocentrics. 180 torres, adam and ribeiro

Fig. 3 — Scheme representing the possible chromosomal rearrangements involved in the karyotype evolution between the studied species of Streptoprocne. microchromosomes and it would determine the vari- some questions concerning the contributions of cy- ation of ±2 chromosomes found in the diploid togenetics in the taxonomy of biological groups. number of both species. Among the Apodidae species with their karyo- Although the karyotypical data are very scarce in types recognized are stood out those from, Apus pa- the family Apodidae it is perfectly possible to analyze cificus, Hirundapus caudacutus, Apus affinis affinis, genetic discontinuity in apodidae 181

Streptoprocne biscutata and Streptoprocne zonaris Striking karyotypical differences are observed (Xiaozhuang et al., 1988; Yadav et al., 1995; between the karyotypes of Apus pacificus and Apus Ribeiro et al., 2003). Indeed, it is possible to observe affinis affinis (Figure 1). Therefore, it is completely an extreme homeostasis related to the maintenance impracticable any inference about how many and of the karyotypical macrostructure with a large which mechanisms would be involved in the obscure number of acrocentric chromosomes followed by relationship between such karyotypes, contrarily to submetacentrics and metacentrics (Figure 1). what is expected to be observed between species Comparing the karyotypes from Apus pacificus from the same genus. and Hirundapus caudacutus it is possible to observe a The occurrence of homeostasis at the karyotypi- remarkable similarity between their karyotypical cal macrostructure among species from the same ge- macrostructures (Figure 1). The group of submeta- nus seems to be a phenomenon occurring frequently centrics is characterized by the extreme conservation in vertebrates, being possible to verify such occur- rence since freshwater fishes to small rodents. As an in number, morphology and ratio of chromosomes. example, the chromosomal data made available for Punctual differences are present in the metacentric species and lineages belonging to Trichomycteridae and acrocentric groups: (a) Apus pacificus present a (one of the most basal families of Neotropical fresh- third metacentric pair absent in Hirundapus caudacu- water catfishes) point out to an extreme maintenance tus and (b) Hirundapus caudacutus present an addi- of the karyotypical macrostructures being these com- tional acrocentric pair in relation to Apus pacificus posed by similar numbers of metacentrics, submeta- Xiaozhuang ( et al., 1988). centrics, subtelocentrics and acrocentrics (Torres et These differences could be explained by the oc- al., 1998; Borin & Martins-Santos, 1999; 2000; currence of a pericentric inversion in the third meta- Torres et al., 2002; Sato et al., 2003). The same centric pair of Apus pacificus followed by a large ter- situation may be also observed among the species be- minal deletion in the resulting acrocentric pair. longing to the genus Bolomys (a genus comprising The inverse sense of such rearrangements would small Neotropical rodents). Among four studied spe- be also possible but it would not be the most accept- cies (B. obscururs, B. temchuki, B. amoenus and B. la- able hypothesis considering that besides the occur- siurus) all of them present the same 2n=34 and the rence of a pericentric inversion, duplicaton should same fundamental number [34] (Gardner & Pat- be also considered. ton, 1976; Bianchi & Merani, 1984; Vitulo et al.,

Fig. 4 — A perspective about the evolutionary scenario of the karyotype showing the genetic discontinuity along some Apodidae clades. Modified from Lee et al. (1996). 182 torres, adam and ribeiro

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