title: Molecular systematics of sciurognathi (rodentia): the mitochondrial cytochrome b and 12S rRNA genes support the Anomaluroidea (Pedetidae and Anomaluridae).
abstract: Nucleotide sequence data from the mitochondrial 12S rRNA and cytochrome b genes were used to analyze phylogenetic relationships among sciurognath rodents. Our sample taxa included representatives of 11 sciurognath and 3 hystricognath families with two marsupial species, Didelphis virginiana and Macropus robustus, as outgroups. The dataset was analyzed using both maximum-parsimony (weighted and unweighted) and likelihood methods. Three suprafamilial groupings are strongly supported: Geomyidae + Heteromyidae (Geomyoidea), Sciuridae + Aplodontidae (Sciuroidea), and Pedetidae + Anomaluridae (Anomaluroidea). Although moderately supported, two sister group relationships were identified between Gliridae and Sciuroidea and between Castor and Geomyoidea. In contrast to previous nuclear DNA evidence, the evolutionary affinities between Ctenodactylidae and Hystricognathi (Ctenohystrica) and between Muridae and Dipodidae (Myodonta) are not supported by the mitochondrial data. Molecular divergence dates based on the combined data were estimated for suprafamilial groupings and are discussed in the light of current morphological and paleontological interpretations of rodent phylogeny.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Paléontologie des Vertébrés (EPHE), Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, UMR 5554 (CNRS), Université Montpellier II, CC064, Place E. Bataillon, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Claudine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Montgelard
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bentz
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tirard
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Verneau
authors.forename: François M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Catzeflis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003573:Cytochrome b Group / Q000235:genetics*; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics*; D012377:Rodentia / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D003573:Cytochrome b Group; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; C075526:RNA, ribosomal, 12S