Cetartiodactyla comprises Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates) and Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises). Artiodactyla is a large taxon represented by about 200 living species ranked in 10 families. Cetacea are classified into 13 families with almost 80 species. Many publications concerning karyotypic relationships in Cetartiodactyla have been published in previous decades. Formerly, the karyotypes of closely related species were compared by chromosome banding. Introduction of molecular cytogenetic methods facilitated comparative mapping between species with highly rearranged karyotypes and distantly related species. Such information is a prerequisite for the understanding of karyotypic phylogeny and the reconstruction of the karyotypes of common ancestors. This study summarizes the data on chromosome evolution in Cetartiodactyla, mainly derived from molecular cytogenetic studies. Traditionally, phylogenetic relationships of most groups have been estimated using morphological data. However, the results of some molecular studies of mammalian phylogeny are discordant with traditional conceptions of phylogeny. Cetartiodactyls provide several examples of incongruence between traditional morphological and molecular data. Such cases of conflict include the relationships of the major clades of artiodactyls, the relationships among the extant families of the suborder Ruminantia or the phylogeny of the family Bovidae. The most unexpected aspect of the molecular phylogeny was the recognition that Cetacea is a deeply nested member of Artiodactyla. The largest living order of terrestrial hoofed mammals is the even-toed hoofed mammals, or Artiodactyla. The artiodactyls are composed of over 190 living species including pigs, peccaries, hippos, camels, llamas, deer, pronghorns, giraffes, sheep, goats, cattle and antelopes. Cetacea is an order of wholly aquatic mammals, which include whales, dolphins and porpoises. Cetartiodactyla has become the generally accepted name for the clade containing both of these orders.

Veterinary Research Institute Brno Czech Republic

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X Chromosome-Specific Repeats in Non-Domestic Bovidae

Anchoring the CerEla1.0 Genome Assembly to Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) and Cattle (Bos taurus) Chromosomes and Specification of Evolutionary Chromosome Rearrangements in Cervidae

Chromosomal evolution in Raphicerus antelope suggests divergent X chromosomes may drive speciation through females, rather than males, contrary to Haldane's rule

Karyotype relationships among selected deer species and cattle revealed by bovine FISH probes

Recombination correlates with synaptonemal complex length and chromatin loop size in bovids-insights into mammalian meiotic chromosomal organization

Nanger, Eudorcas, Gazella, and Antilope form a well-supported chromosomal clade within Antilopini (Bovidae, Cetartiodactyla)

Molecular cytogenetic insights to the phylogenetic affinities of the giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) and pronghorn (Antilocapra americana)