Several organisms have 56 chromosomes, including:
- Cultivated strawberries (Fragaria × ananassa): These are octoploid, meaning they have eight sets of chromosomes (2n = 8x = 56).
- Three elephants, male and female Asian (Elephas maximus) and female African (Loxodonta africana): This was discovered through the study of cultured somatic cells.
- Some species of rodents, such as Pseudoryzomys leucodon, have 56 chromosomes.
The number of chromosomes can vary greatly between species and even within a single species. This variation is due to factors like polyploidy (multiple sets of chromosomes) and chromosomal rearrangements.
