TY - DATA T1 - Supplementary Material for: Tracking Chromosome Evolution in Southern African Gerbils Using Flow-Sorted Chromosome Paints PY - 2013/05/04 AU - Knight L.I. AU - Ng B.L. AU - Cheng W. AU - Fu B. AU - Yang F. AU - Rambau R.V. UR - https://karger.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Supplementary_Material_for_Tracking_Chromosome_Evolution_in_Southern_African_Gerbils_Using_Flow-Sorted_Chromosome_Paints/5124919 DO - 10.6084/m9.figshare.5124919.v1 L4 - https://ndownloader.figshare.com/files/8711479 KW - Chromosome painting KW - Gerbillinae KW - Gerbilliscus paeba KW - Robertsonian rearrangements N2 - Desmodillus and Gerbilliscus (formerly Tatera) comprise a monophyletic group of gerbils (subfamily Gerbillinae) which last shared an ancestor approximately 8 million years ago; diploid chromosome number variation among the species ranges from 2n = 36 to 2n = 50. In an attempt to shed more light on chromosome evolution and speciation in these rodents, we compared the karyotypes of 7 species, representing 3 genera, based on homology data revealed by chromosome painting with probes derived from flow-sorted chromosomes of the hairy footed gerbil, Gerbillurus paeba (2n = 36). The fluorescent in situ hybridization data revealed remarkable genome conservation: these species share a high proportion of conserved chromosomes, and differences are due to 10 Robertsonian (Rb) rearrangements (3 autapomorphies, 3 synapomorphies and 4 hemiplasies/homoplasies). Our data suggest that chromosome evolution in Desmodillus occurred at a rate of ∼1.25 rearrangements per million years (Myr), and that the rate among Gerbilliscus over a time period spanning 8 Myr is also ∼1.25 rearrangements/Myr. The recently diverged Gerbillurus (G. tytonis and G. paeba) share an identical karyotype, while Gerbilliscus kempi, G. afra and G. leucogaster differ by 6 Rb rearrangements (a rate of ∼1 rearrangement/Myr). Thus, our data suggests a very slow rate of chromosomal evolution in Southern African gerbils. ER -