The ant Myrmecia pilosula has the smallest number of chromosomes possible in a eukaryote: females possess only one pair of chromosomes, and males have only one chromosome! Put another way, female M. pilosula can be described as having the haploid condition n = 1 and the diploid condition 2n = 2. Based on this scenario as well as your knowledge of gamete formation, a female M. pilosula can produce gametes with different sets of chromosomes.

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A female M. pilosula has a diploid condition of 2n = 2, meaning it has two chromosomes. During gamete formation (meiosis), these chromosomes can segregate into gametes in only one way, resulting in two possible combinations of chromosomes in the gametes.

The Ant Myrmecia Pilosula Has the Smallest Number of Chromosomes