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title: "Chromosomal karyotypes of Southern Giant Petrels from Antarctica: how much do they differ from other procellariiforms?"
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# Chromosomal karyotypes of Southern Giant Petrels from Antarctica: how much do they differ from other procellariiforms?

Analía Garnero ([Universidade Federal do Pampa, Campus São Gabriel](http://porteiras.unipampa.edu.br/saogabriel/), Brazil) and colleagues have written on chromosomal characterization of Southern Giant Petrels*Macronectes giganteus* and of three other procellariiform seabirds in the free-access journal [*Marine Ornithology*](http://www.marineornithology.org/).

 The paper’s abstract follows

 “The karyotype and C-banding patterns of Southern Giant Petrels *Macronectes giganteus*, Cape Petrels *Daption capense*, Black-bellied Storm Petrels *Fregetta tropica* and Wilson’s Storm Petrels *Oceanites oceanicus* were analyzed.  To obtain metaphases, the direct culture technique was used on feather bulbs and lymphocytes of peripheral blood of 34 specimens. Both Southern Giant and Cape Petrels share 2n = 80 chromosomes.  Pair 1 is metacentric; pairs 2 and 4 are submetacentric; pairs 3, 5, 6 and 7 are acrocentric; and the remaining ones are telocentric. The Z chromosome is submetacentric, and the W is submetacentric in Southern Giant Petrels and metacentric in Cape Petrels.  In Black-bellied Storm Petrels (2n = 74), pair 1 is metacentric; pair 3 is submetacentric; pairs 2, 4, 5 and 6 and the remaining ones are telocentric; while the Z is submetacentric, and the W is telocentric. In Wilson’s Storm Petrels (2n = 70), pairs 1 and 3 are metacentric; pair 2 is acrocentric; and pairs 4, 5 and 6 are submetacentric; all remaining ones are telocentric.  The Z chromosome is metacentric, and the W is submetacentric.  All chromosomes except the Z chromosome of Black-bellied Storm Petrels revealed centromeric heterochromatin.  The W chromosomes of all species were heterochromatic.  We observed a numerical and morphological chromosome homology between the Southern Giant Petrels and the Cape Petrels, but very different phenotypes, while Black-bellied and Wilson’s Storm Petrels are phenotypically similar, but their karyotypes differ in chromosome number and morphology.”

 ![](https://www.acap.aq/images/stories/acap/Birds/Petrels/S/Southern_Giant/Signy 3 Michael Dunn s.jpg)

 A Southern Giant Petrel in Antarctica. Photograph by Michael Dunn

 **Reference:**

 Garnero, A. Del V., Boccelli, M., Oliveira, J.C.P., Ledesma, M.A., Montalti, D., Coria, N. & Gunski R.J. 2013.  Chromosomal characterization of four Antarctic Procellariiformes. * [Marine Ornithology](http://www.marineornithology.org/PDF/41_1/41_1_63-68.pdf)*[41: 63-68](#).

 *John Cooper, ACAP Information Officer, 26 July 2013*