Mammalian Evolution and the Interphotoreceptor Retinoid Binding Protein (IRBP) Gene: Convincing Evidence for Several Superordinal Clades

Authors

• Michael Stanhope, Queen's University - Belfast, United Kingdom
• Marta R. Smith, Nova Southeastern University
• Victor G. Waddell, Queen's University - Belfast, United Kingdom
• Calvin A. Porter, Wayne State University
• Mahmood S. Shivji, Nova Southeastern UniversityFollow
• Morris Goodman, Wayne State University

ResearcherID

G-4080-2013

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Journal of Molecular Evolution

ISSN

1432-1432

Publication Date

8-1996

Keywords

Mammalian phylogenetics, Interordinal relationships, IRBP, Cetaceans, Elephant shrew, Aardvark

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships of 25 mammalian species representing 17 of the 18 eutherian orders were examined using DNA sequences from a 1.2-kb region of the 5′ end of exon 1 of the single-copy nuclear gene known as interphotoreceptor retinoid binding protein (IRBP). A wide variety of methods of analysis of the DNA sequence, and of the translated products, all supported a five-order clade consisting of elephant shrew (Macroscelidea)/aardvark (Tubulidentata)/and the paenungulates (hyracoids, sirenians, and elephants), with bootstrap support in all cases of 100%. The Paenungulata was also strongly supported by these IRBP data. In the majority of analyses this monophyletic five-order grouping was the first branch off the tree after the Edentata. These results are highly congruent with two other recent sources of molecular data. Another superordinal grouping, with similar 100% bootstrap support in all of the same wide-ranging types of analyses, was Artiodactyla/Cetacea. Other superordinal affinities, suggested by the analyses, but with less convincing support, included a Perissodactyla/Artiodactyla/Cetacea clade, an Insectivora/Chiroptera clade, and Glires (an association of rodents and lagomorphs).

DOI

10.1007/BF02337352

Volume

43

Issue

2

First Page

83

Last Page

92

Comments

©Springer-Verlag New York Inc 1996

NSUWorks Citation

Stanhope, Michael; Marta R. Smith; Victor G. Waddell; Calvin A. Porter; Mahmood S. Shivji; and Morris Goodman. 1996. "Mammalian Evolution and the Interphotoreceptor Retinoid Binding Protein (IRBP) Gene: Convincing Evidence for Several Superordinal Clades." Journal of Molecular Evolution 43, (2): 83-92. doi:10.1007/BF02337352.