Includes bibliograpical references (leaves 119-134). The most common chromosome abnormalities in live cattle are various Robertsonian translocations (centric fusions). Two hypotheses have been used to explain how monocentric Robersonian translocation chromosomes are generated: either direct formation, or evolution from dicentic chromosomes. Four main cattle procentric Satellite sequences were used as single and two-colour fluorescence in situ hybridization probes for studying the centromere organisation of cattle autosomes and the rearrangement in two cattle Robertsonian translocation chromosomes, the t(1:29) which is monocentric and found in numerous breeds, and the t(14:20) which is dicentric and found in 2 breeds.