Q:- You may have heard through various media of an animal alleged to be the hybrid of a rabbit and a cat. Given that cat (Felis
domestica) has a diploid chromosomes number of 38 and a rabbit (Oryctologus cuniculus) has a diploid chromosomes number of 44, What would be the expected chromosomes number in the somatic tissues of this alleged hybrid?
Cats have a dipoid chromosome number of 38, <u>so their gametes will have half that number: an haploid number of 19 chromosomes</u>.
Rabbits have a dipoid chromosome number of 44, <u>so their gametes will have an haploid number of 22 chromosomes</u>.
When a cat gamete (n=19) joins with a rabbit gamete (n=22) to form the hybrid zygote, it will have 19+22=41 chromosomes. When it undergoes mitotic division, all its somatic cells will have 41 chromosomes.
