Molecular Biology and Evolution, Vol 14, 20-29, Copyright © 1997 by Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution
CA Matthee and TJ Robinson
The phylogenetic position of the Pedetidae, represented by a single species
Pedetes capensis, is controversial, reflecting in part the retention of
both Hystricomorphous and Sciurognathous characteristics in this rodent. In
an attempt to clarify the species evolutionary relationships, mtDNA gene
sequences from 10 rodent species (representing seven families) were
analyzed using phenetic, parsimony, and maximum-likelihood methods of
phylogenetic inference; the rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (Order
Lagomorpha), and cow, Bos taurus (Order Artiodactyla), were used as
outgroups. Investigation of 714 base pairs of the protein-coding cytochrome
b gene indicate strong base bias at the third codon position with
significant rate heterogeneity evident between the three structural domains
of this gene. Similar analyses conducted on 816 base pairs of the 12S rRNA
gene revealed a transversion bias in the loop sections of all taxa. The
cytochrome b gene sequences proved useful in resolving associations between
closely related species but failed to produce consistent tree topologies at
the family level. In contrast, phylogenetic analysis of the 12S rRNA gene
resulted in strong support for the clustering of
Pedetidae/Heteromyidae/Geomyidae and Muridae in one clade to the exclusion
of the Hystricidae/Thryonomyidae and Sciuridae, a finding which is
concordant with studies of rodent fetal membranes as well as reproductive
and other anatomical features.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Molecular phylogeny of the springhare, Pedetes capensis, based on mitochondrial DNA sequences
Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
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