A reliable method of quantifying G-band position in chromosomes.

The locations of chromosomal bands in the muntajac (Muntiacus muntjak, Zimmerman) are shown to be constant, that is the bands occupy the same relative position regardless of the state of contraction of the chormosome. Each band can thus be assigned a precise location. Different banding techniques produce bands at identical locations and thus precisely similar patterns, with one notable exception in which certain bands disappear. It it proposed that this more exact procedure be used to identify chromosomal bands, especially in cases of chromosomal rearrangement. It may be of particular use in computer analyses of karyotypes.