In the oocytes of some vertebrates, a specific stage of prophase I of meiosis is known to last for months or years. Which of the following events is the hallmark of the stage that immediately precedes this arrested stage?

Step-by-step solution

In the oocytes of some vertebrates, the diplotene stage can last for months or years. This is an arrested stage of prophase I. The stage that immediately precedes diplotene in prophase I is pachytene. The hallmark event of the pachytene stage is the appearance of recombination nodules, which are the sites at which crossing over occurs between non-sister chromatids of the homologous chromosomes. Visibility of chiasmata occurs during diplotene (the arrested stage itself). Formation of the synaptonemal complex occurs