Cytosystematic Value of Chromosomal Inversion Data in the Genus Peromyscus (Rodentia: Cricetidae)

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Abstract
G-band chromosomal data are presented for seven species of subtropical and tropical deer mice: Peromyscus banderanus, P. guatemalensis, P. gymnotis, P. mexicanus, P. yucatanicus, P. zarhynchus, and P. lepturus. P. banderanus retains the primitive karyotype for the genus with only chromosomes 1, 22, and 23 biarmed. Species examined from the mexicanus group (P. guatemalensis, P. gymnotis, P. mexicanus, P. yucatanicus, and P. zarhynchus) are characterized by a single karyotype with chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 9, 22, and 23 biarmed. P. lepturus has chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 15, 22, and 23 biarmed. Autosomal heterochromatin (C-band positive material) was restricted to the centromeric regions in each of the seven species examined. A most parsimonious cladogram was constructed from the chromosome banding data of these and 19 other species. Due to the high frequency of apparently convergent inversions of chromosome 6, this chromosome was eliminated as a character in the cladistic analysis. Additionally, a synthetic phylogenetic analysis incorporating chromosomal and subgeneric taxonomic inferences for the 26 species is presented. Within the genus Peromyscus, chromosome banding data are viewed as most reliable at the species group level (in certain cases) and as indicators of potential areas of discrepancy in intrageneric taxonomy.