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Molecular Biology and Evolution, Vol 16, 1061-1067, Copyright © 1999 by Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Molecular phylogeny and morphological homoplasy in fruitbats

Y Alvarez, J Juste, E Tabares, A Garrido-Pertierra, C Ibanez and JM Bautista
Departamento de Bioquimica y Biologia Molecular IV, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain.

The present study evaluates the evolutionary framework of the Old World fruitbats based on the cytochrome b and 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene sequences from a wide range of taxa. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that morphology-based subfamilies and most suprageneric groups are nonnatural assemblages. They also support the existence of an endemic African clade of fruitbats. The discrepancy between the evolutionary relationships yielded by molecular and morphological data sets may be, at least in part, explained by the recurrent retention of primitive morphology (Rousettus-like) across different lineages. The maintenance of primitive characters in different groups of flying foxes, as well as morphological convergence in nectar-feeding bats and possibly also in short-muzzle bats, may have led to high levels of homoplasy, resulting in misleading taxonomic arrangements. This may be particularly so with respect to high taxonomic levels based on morphological characters.
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