Molecular Biology and Evolution, Vol 16, 784-792, Copyright © 1999 by Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution
Y Kumazawa and M Nishida
Turtles have highly specialized morphological characteristics, and their
phylogenetic position has been under intensive debate. Previous molecular
studies have not established a consistent and statistically well supported
conclusion on this issue. In order to address this, complete mitochondrial
DNA sequences were determined for the green turtle and the blue-tailed mole
skink. These genomes possess an organization of genes which is typical of
most other vertebrates, such as placental mammals, a frog, and bony fishes,
but distinct from organizations of alligators and snakes. Molecular
evolutionary rates of mitochondrial protein sequences appear to vary
considerably among major reptilian lineages, with relatively rapid rates
for snake and crocodilian lineages but slow rates for turtle and lizard
lineages. In spite of this rate heterogeneity, phylogenetic analyses using
amino acid sequences of 12 mitochondrial proteins reliably established the
Archosauria (birds and crocodilians) and Lepidosauria (lizards and snakes)
clades postulated from previous morphological studies. The phylogenetic
analyses further suggested that turtles are a sister group of the
archosaurs, and this untraditional relationship was provided with strong
statistical evidence by both the bootstrap and the Kishino- Hasegawa tests.
This is the first statistically significant molecular phylogeny on the
placement of turtles relative to the archosaurs and lepidosaurs. It is
therefore likely that turtles originated from a Permian-Triassic
archosauromorph ancestor with two pairs of temporal fenestrae behind the
skull orbit that were subsequently lost. The traditional classification of
turtles in the Anapsida may thus need to be reconsidered.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Complete mitochondrial DNA sequences of the green turtle and blue- tailed mole skink: statistical evidence for archosaurian affinity of turtles
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Nagoya University, Japan. h44858a@nucc.cc.nagoya-u.ac.jp
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