New cytogenetic techniques in the study of primate genome evolution.

Fixed metaphase chromosomes of different species and genera of Primates (five species of Macaca genus and Callithrix jacchus) have been studied after Alu I restriction enzyme digestion and DA-DAPI counterstaining, in the attempt to determine some qualitative characteristics of their DNAs and specifically of the DNA localized in the heterochromatic components of the karyotypes. The results have been discussed in the light of those already published on humans, confirming the potentiality of this approach in the study of the phyloevolutive relationships in Primates.