Dobigny Gauthier auteur aut IRD Britton-Davidian J. auteur aut IRD Robinson T. J. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access Although chromosome rearrangements (CRs) are central to studies of genome evolution, our understanding of the evolutionary consequences of the early stages of karyotypic differentiation (i.e. polymorphism), especially the non-meiotic impacts, is surprisingly limited. We review the available data on chromosomal polymorphisms in mammals so as to identify taxa that hold promise for developing a more comprehensive understanding of chromosomal change. In doing so, we address several key questions: (i) to what extent are mammalian karyotypes polymorphic, and what types of rearrangements are principally involved? (ii) Are some mammalian lineages more prone to chromosomal polymorphism than others? More specifically, do (karyotypically) polymorphic mammalian species belong to lineages that are also characterized by past, extensive karyotype repatterning? (iii) How long can chromosomal polymorphisms persist in mammals? We discuss the evolutionary implications of these questions and propose several research avenues that may shed light on the role of chromosome change in the diversification of mammalian populations and species. specialized genome evolution karyotype evolution chromosome rearrangement population cytogenetics polymorphism Mammalia 080 020 92 1 1-21 2017 1464-7931 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010068873 10.1111/brv.12213 1464-7931 [F B010068873] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010068873 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2017/02/010068873.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2017-03-02 2023-07-11 fdi:010068873 fre