List of organisms by chromosome count


The list of organisms by chromosome count describes ploidy or numbers of chromosomes in the cells of various plants, animals, protists, and other living organisms. This number, along with the visual appearance of the chromosome, is known as the karyotype, and can be found by looking at the chromosomes through a microscope. Attention is paid to their length, the position of the centromeres, banding pattern, any differences between the sex chromosomes, and any other physical characteristics. The preparation and study of karyotypes is part of cytogenetics.
Organism
Chromosome numberPictureKaryotypeNotesSource
Jack jumper ant
2 for females, males are haploid and thus have 1; smallest number possible. Other ant species have more chromosomes.
Oikopleura dioica
Australian daisy
This species can have more B chromosomes than A chromosomes at times, but 2n=4.
Spider mite Spider mites are typically haplodiploidy
Yellowfever mosquito
The 2n=6 chromosome number is conserved in the entire family Culicidae, except in Chagasia bathana, which has 2n=8.
Indian muntjac
2n = 6 for females and 7 for males. The lowest diploid chromosomal number in mammals.
Hieracium
Fruit fly
6 autosomal and 2 allosomic
Macrostomum lignano
Thale cress
10
Swamp wallaby
11 for male, 10 for female
Nematode
12 for hermaphrodites, 11 for males
Spinach
12
Broad bean
12
Yellow dung fly
1210 autosomal and 2 allosomic chromosomes. Males have XY sex chromosomes and females have XX sex chromosomes. The sex chromosomes are the largest chromosomes and constitute 30% of the total length of the diploid set in females and about 25% in males.
Slime mold
12
Cucumber
14
Tasmanian devil
14
Rye
14
Pea
14
Barley
14
Aloe vera14The diploid chromosome number is 2n = 14 with four pair of long acrocentric chromosomes ranging from 14.4 μm to 17.9 μm and three pair of short sub metacentric chromosomes ranging from 4.6 μm to 5.4 μm.
Koala
16
Kangaroo16This includes several members of genus Macropus, but not the red kangaroo
Schistosoma mansoni162n=16. 7 autosomal pairs and ZW sex-determination pair.
Welsh onion
16
Garlic
16
Itch mite
According to the observation of embryonic cells of egg, chromosome number of the itch mite is either 17 or 18. While the cause for the disparate numbers is unknown, it may arise because of an XO sex determination mechanism, where males lack the sex chromosome and therefore have one less chromosome than the female.
Radish
18
Carrot
18The genus Daucus includes around 25 species. D. carota has nine chromosome pairs. D. capillifolius, D. sahariensis and D. syrticus are the other members of the genus with 2n = 18, whereas D. muricatus and D. pusillus have a slightly higher chromosome number. A few polyploid species as for example D. glochidiatus and D. montanus also exist.
Cabbage
18Broccoli, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, brussels sprouts, and cauliflower are all the same species and have the same chromosome number.
Citrus
18Chromosome number of the genus Citrus, which including lemons, oranges, grapefruit, pomelo and limes, is 2n = 18.
Passion fruit
18
Setaria viridis
18
Maize
20
Cannabis
20
Western clawed frog
20
Australian pitcher plant
20
Cacao
20
Eucalyptus
22Although some contradictory cases have been reported, the large homogeneity of the chromosome number 2n = 22 is now known for 135 distinct species among genus Eucalyptus.
Virginia opossum
22
Bean
22All species in the genus Phaseolus have the same chromosome number, including common bean, runner bean, tepary bean and lima bean.
Snail24
Melon
24
Rice
24
Silverleaf nightshade
24
Sweet chestnut
24
Tomato
24
European beech
24
Bittersweet nightshade
24
Cork oak
24
Edible frog
26Edible frog is the fertile hybrid of the pool frog and the marsh frog.
Axolotl
28
Bed bug
26 autosomes and varying number of the sex chromosomes from three to 21.
Pill millipede
30
Giraffe
30
American mink
30
Pistachio
30
Yeast
32
European honey bee
32/1632 for females, males are haploid and thus have 16.
American badger
32
Alfalfa
32Cultivated alfalfa is tetraploid, with 2n=4x=32. Wild relatives have 2n=16.
Red fox
34Plus 3-5 microsomes.
Sunflower
34
Porcupine
34
Globe artichoke
34
Yellow mongoose
36
Tibetan sand fox
36
Starfish
36
Red panda
36
Meerkat
36
Cassava
36
Long-nosed cusimanse
36
Earthworm
36
African clawed frog
36
Waterwheel plant
38
Tiger
38
Sea otter
38
Sable
38
Raccoon
38
Pine marten
38
Pig
38
Oriental small-clawed otter
38
Lion
38
Fisher38a type of marten
European mink
38
Coatimundi38
Cat
38
Beech marten
38
Baja California ratsnake
38
American marten
38
Trans-Pecos ratsnake
40
Mouse
40
Mango
40
Hyena
40
Ferret
40
European polecat
40
Beaver
40
Peanut
40Cultivated peanut is an allotetraploid. Its closest relatives are the diploid.
Wolverine
42
Wheat
42This is a hexaploid with 2n=6x=42. Durum wheat is Triticum turgidum var. durum, and is a tetraploid with 2n=4x=28.
Rhesus monkey
42
Rat
42
Oats
42This is a hexaploid with 2n=6x=42. Diploid and tetraploid cultivated species also exist.
Giant panda
42
Fossa
42
European rabbit
44
Eurasian badger
44
Moon jellyfish
44
Dolphin
44
Coffea arabica
44Out of the 103 species in the genus Coffea, arabica coffee is the only tetraploid species, the remaining species being diploid with 2n = 2x = 22.
Sable antelope
46
Reeves's muntjac
46
Human
4644 autosomal. and 2 allosomic
Parhyale hawaiensis46
Water buffalo
48
Tobacco
48Cultivated species N. tabacum is an amphidiploid evolved through the interspecific hybridization of the ancestors of N. sylvestris and N. tomentosiformis about 200,000 years ago.
Potato
48This is for common potato Solanum tuberosum. Other cultivated potato species may be diploid, triploid, tetraploid, or pentaploid. Wild relatives mostly have 2n=24.
Orangutan
48
Hare
48
Gorilla
48
Deer mouse
48
Chimpanzee
48
Beaver
48
Zebrafish
50
Water buffalo
50
Striped skunk
50
Pineapple
50
Kit fox
50
Spectacled bear
52
Platypus
52Ten sex chromosomes. Males have X1Y1X2Y2X3Y3X4Y4X5Y5, females have X1X1X2X2X3X3X4X4X5X5.
Cotton
52This is for the cultivated species G. hirsutum. This species accounts for 90% of the world cotton production. Among 50 species in the genus Gossypium, 45 are diploid and 5 are allotetraploid.
Sheep
54
Hyrax
Hyraxes were considered to be the closest living relatives of elephants, but sirenians have been found to be more closely related to elephants.
Raccoon dog
54This number is for Chinese raccoon dog, 2n=54+B. On the other hand, Japanese raccoon dog with 2n=38+B. Here, B represents B chromosome and its variation in the number between individuals.
Capuchin monkey
54
Silkworm
56This is for the species mulberry silkworm, B. mori. Probably more than 99% of the world's commercial silk today come from this species. Other silk producing moths, called non-mulberry silkworms, have various chromosome numbers.
Strawberry
56This number is octoploid, main cultivated species Fragaria × ananassa. In genus Fragaria, basic chromosome number is seven and multiple levels of ploidy, ranging from diploid to decaploid, are known.
Gaur
56
Elephant
56
Woolly mammoth
58extinct; tissue from a frozen carcass
Yak
60
Goat
60
Cow/Bull
60
American bison
60
Bengal fox
60
Gypsy moth
62
Donkey
62
Scarlet macaw
62–64
Mule63semi-infertile and horse
Guinea pig
64
Spotted skunk
64
Horse
64
Fennec fox
64
Echidna63/6463 and 64
Chinchilla
64
Nine-banded armadillo
64
Gray fox
66
Red deer
68
Elk
68
Roadside hawk
68
White-tailed deer
70
Black nightshade
72
Bat-eared fox
72
Sun bear
74
Sloth bear
74
Polar bear
74
Brown bear
74
Asiatic black bear
74
American black bear
74
Bush Dog
74
Maned Wolf
76
Gray wolf
78
Golden jackal
78
Dove
78Based on African collared dove
Dog
78Normal dog karyotype is composed of 38 pairs of acrocentric autosomes and two metacentric sex chromosomes.
Dingo
78
Dhole
78
Coyote
78
Chicken
78
African wild dog
78
Tropical pitcher plant
78
Turkey
80
Sugarcane
80This is for S. officinarum. About 70% of the world's sugar comes from this species. Other species in the genus Saccharum, collectively known as sugarcane, have chromosome numbers in the range 2n=40–128.
Pigeon
80
Great white shark
82
Hedgehog genus Erinaceus 88
Moonworts
90
Hedgehog Genus Atelerix 90
Grape fern
90
Pittier's crab-eating rat
92Previously thought to be the highest number in mammals, tied with Anotomys leander.
prawn
Aquatic rat
92Previously thought to be the highest number in mammals, tied with Ichthyomys pittieri.
Kamraj
94
Carp
100
Red viscacha rat
102Highest number known in mammals, thought to be a tetraploid or allotetraploid.
Talking catfish
104
American paddlefish
120
Northern lamprey
174
Rattlesnake fern
184
Red king crab
208
Field horsetail
216
Agrodiaetus butterfly
268This insect has one of the highest chromosome numbers among all animals.
Black mulberry
30844-ploid
Atlas blue
2n = circa 448–452. Highest number of chromosomes in the non-polyploid eukaryotic organisms.
Adders-tongue
1260n=120–720 with a high degree of polyploidization Ophioglossum reticulatum n=720 in hexaploid species, 2n=1260 in decaploid species
Ciliated protozoa
50x = 12,500
10,000x = 10,000
Ciliated protozoa
1260 Macronuclear "nanochromosomes"; ampliploid. MAC chromosomes × 1900 ploidy level = 2.964 × 107 chromosomes