Tasmanian devil cells have 14 chromosomes, while the oldest-known strain of the tumour cell contains thirteen chromosomes, nine of which are recognizable and four of which are mutated “marker” chromosomes.[13] More recently evolved strains have an additional mutant marker chromosome, for a total of fourteen chromosomes.[14][15] Researchers identified the cancer as a neuroendocrine tumour, and found identical chromosomal rearrangements in all the cancer cells.[16] The karyotype anomalies of DFTD cells are similar to those of cancer cells from canine transmissible venereal tumour (CTVT), a cancer of dogs that is transmitted by physical contact.[16] Among the different alterations present in the tumour genome can be found several single base mutations or shorts insertions and deletions (indels) like deletions in the chromosomes 1, 2 and 3 or trisomy in 5p. Some of the mutated or deleted genes in DFTD are RET, FANCD2, MAST3 and BTNL9-like gene.[17]