Chromosome morphology during meiosis of normal and Robertsonian translocation-carrying rams (Ovis aries).

A detailed description is given of the meiotic chromosomes of the normal ram (54,XY) and of the chromosomes at diakinesis-metaphase I in rams heterozygous for the t1, t2 and t3 and homozygous for the t1 and t3 Robertsonian translocation chromosomes. Analyses were made on diakinesis-metaphase I chromosomes in 309 cells from normal rams and 2402 cells from the Robertsonian translocation carriers. Hypomodal cell counts were due to missing chromosomal elements and hypermodal counts were due either to separation of the chromosomes of the sex bivalent or to separation of the components of an autosomal bivalent. Trivalent formation was characteristic for the heterozygous Robertsonian translocation carriers while the homozygous carriers had an additional large bivalent. An association between the sex bivalent and a small autosomal bivalent at diakinesis-metaphase I is reported.