1. Re-evaluation of Molecular Phylogeny of the Subfamily Cephalophinae (Bovidae: Artiodactyla); with Notes on Diversification of Body Size.
- Author
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Ghassemi-Khademi, Taghi and Hamidi, Kordiyeh
- Subjects
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BOVIDAE , *MOLECULAR phylogeny , *BODY size , *CYTOCHROME oxidase , *ARTIODACTYLA , *TRANSFER RNA , *CYTOCHROME b , *BIOLOGICAL extinction - Abstract
Duikers from the subfamily Cephalophinae are small to medium-sized antelope native to sub-Saharan Africa. Since most of the species belonging to this group are considered at-risk due to the process of population decline and probable extinction, recognizing their evolutionary biology will be useful toward preventing their extinction. Herein, molecular phylogeny of fourteen species of duikers were re-evaluated using complete mitochondrial genome sequences (n=17), cytochrome b (n=64), cytochrome c oxidase I (n=81), as well as the tRNA-proline gene and D-loop sequences. The analysis of a total of 225 gene sequences showed the average base composition of mtDNA sequences, based on mitogenome sequences, as follows: 26.8 % T, 26.5 % C, 33.3 % A, and 13.4 % G, with a great AT bias (60.1 %). According to the phylogenetic trees which resulted from maximum likelihood analysis, five distinct groups were indicated as West African red (Cephalophus callipygus, C. ogilbyi), East African red (C. leucogaster, C. natalensis, C. rufilatus, C. nigrifrons), savanna (Sylvicapra grimmia), giant (C. dorsalis, C. jentinki, C. silvicultor, C. spadix), and dwarf (Philantomba maxwellii, P. monticola) duikers. Furthermore, the current study showed that results will be similar using limited mitochondrial genes or either mitogenomes. Giving a careful attention to the phylogeny of duikers, two distinct evolutionary lineages were observed which could be defined as two distinct tribes (i.e. dwarf duikers and other species) within this subfamily. It means that their phylogeny is in accordance with their body-size classes. Therefore, similar approaches would be useful for those animals in which phylogeny is in accordance with their geographic position and body size, as can be seen in duikers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2019