Comparative Cytogenetics Allows the Reconstruction of Human Chromosome History: The Case of Human Chromosome 13

Comparative cytogenetics permits the identification of human chromosomal homologies and rearrangements between species, allowing the reconstruction of the history of each human chromosome. The aim of this work is to review evolutionary aspects regarding human chromosome 13. Classic and molecular cytogenetics using comparative banding, chromosome painting, and bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) mapping can help us formulate hypotheses about chromosome ancestral forms; more recently, sequence data have been integrated as well. Although it has been previously shown to be conserved when compared to the ancestral primate chromosome, it shows a degree of rearrange ments in some primate taxa; furthermore, it has been hypothesised to have a complex origin in eutherian mammals which has still not been completely clarified.