NEW ROBERTSONIAN POPULATIONS OF THE HOUSE MOUSE (MUS-MUSCULUS-DOMESTICUS) IN THE NORTHERN ALPS

New Robertsonian (Rb) populations of the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) carrying different combinations of centric fusions are reported in France, Switzerland, and Germany. In Alsace (France), the diploid number varied from 2n = 38 to 34; four fusions were present, with Rb(4.12) homozygous in all populations whereas Rb(5.10), Rb(5.7), or Rb(10.14) were found to be segregating. In Switzerland, only all-acrocentric mice (2n = 40) were present in Bern while Rb(5.7) and Rb(9.16) occurred in Basel. In the Konstanz locality from southern Germany, all the mice were homozygous for nine Rb fusions: Rb(1.18), Rb(2.5), Rb(3.6), Rb(4.12), Rb(7.15), Rb(8.17), Rb(9.14), Rb(10.11), and Rb(13.16). The phylogenetic relationship of these new Rb populations with those already known is discussed.