title: Phylogenetic analysis of the Coscoroba coscoroba using mitochondrial srRNA gene sequences.
abstract: In order to study the phylogenetic relationships among Coscoroba, goose, and swan lineages, sequences for the complete mitochondrial small ribosomal RNA (srRNA) gene were determined from five waterfowl species. Parsimony and distance analyses support the branching of Coscoroba prior to the divergence of geese and swans, and maximum likelihood analyses give almost equal support to that pattern and to the sister group relationship between Coscoroba and swans. The monophyly of the geese was confirmed at a statistically significant level. In sequence comparisons among waterfowl, transitions increase linearly with transversions, and so we conclude that the lack of complete resolution of Coscoroba's position is not due to sequence saturation alone, but also reflects relatively close branching times.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, University of California, Berkeley 94720.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zimmer
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Erdtmann
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: T W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Quinn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001717:Birds / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004372:Ducks / Q000235:genetics; D005777:Geese / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics*; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D000077278:RNA, Mitochondrial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D012313:RNA