Chick/quail chimeras with partial cerebellar grafts have been performed to obtain further information about the origin and migratory movements of cerebellar cortical neurons. The grafts were performed by exchanging between these two species a precise, small portion of the E2 cerebellar primordium, as defined in Martinez and Alvarado-Mallart (Eur. J. Neurosci. 1:549-560, 1989). All grafts were done unilaterally. The chimeric cerebella, fixed at various developmental stages, were analyzed in serial Feulgen-stained preparations to map the distribution of donor and host cells in the ependymal layer (considered to be reminiscent of the primary germinative neuroepithelium) and in the various cortical layers. In some of the oldest cases, we also used antiquail immunostaining to recognize quail cells. In the ependymal layer, it has been possible to conclude that each hemicerebellar primordium undergoes a morphogenetic rotation that changes its rostrocaudal axis to a rostromedio-caudolateral direction. However, important individual variations were observed among the chimeric embryos with respect to the ependymal area expected to be formed by donor cells. These variations cannot be explained solely on the basis of microsurgical procedure; however, they suggest the existence of important reciprocal interaction between host and grafted neuroepithelia. Therefore, it was not possible to draw a precise fate map of the E2 cerebellar primordium. Nevertheless, the dispersion of grafted cells in the cerebellar cortex, when compared to the real extent of the ependymal grafted area in each particular case, provided important data: (1) The external granular layer (EGL), the secondary germinative epithelium, seems not to originate exclusively from the "germinative trigone," as is usually considered the case. It emerges from a larger but restricted portion of the primary cerebellar matrix extending about the caudal fourth or third of the ventricular epithelium, as defined after its morphogenetic rotation. (2) The Purkinje cells (PCs) develop from all areas of the cerebellar epithelium. Although the distribution of donor PCs parallels the grafted ventricular layer mediolaterally, donor PCs extend more in the rostrocaudal dimension. The PC layer is formed mainly by donor cells in the lobules underlain by the grafted ependymal layer. However, donor PCs are also observed in cortical lobules surmounting the host ventricular layer. In these lobules, the donor PCs form clusters of various widths interrupting the host PCs. Reciprocally, clusters of host PCs are also found in the lobules formed mainly by donor PCs. The alternate small clusters of donor or host PCs are surrounded by Bergmann fibers of the other species' origin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)