Our museum accredited vertebrate karyotype collection was begun in the 1970s and is one of the most diverse in the world, documenting approximately 800 taxa, some not found anywhere else. Karyotypes (chromosome maps) are distinct for each species and range from as few as six chromosomes (Indian muntjac) to over 100 (birds and some rodents). Nearly every cell line added to the Frozen Zoo® is karyotyped as a quality control method to confirm species and sex of the individual frozen. Our Genetics team conducts karyotype analysis to establish the chromosome number, make taxonomic comparisons, and in some cases, identify genetic abnormalities. Many of our karyotypes are featured in the Atlas of Mammalian Chromosomes.