title: Molecular cladistic markers in New World monkey phylogeny (Platyrrhini, Primates).
abstract: Transpositions of primate-specific Alu elements were applied as molecular cladistic markers in a phylogenetic analysis of South American primates. Seventy-four human and platyrrhine loci containing intronic Alu elements were PCR screened in various New World monkeys and the human outgroup to detect the presence of orthologous retrotransposons informative of New World monkey phylogeny. Six loci revealed size polymorphism in the amplification pattern, indicating a shared derived character state due to the presence of orthologous Alu elements confirmed by subsequent sequencing. Three markers corroborate (1) New World monkey monophyly and one marker supports each of the following callitrichine relationships: (2) Callithrix and Cebuella are more closely related to each other than to any other callitrichine, (3) the callitrichines form a monophyletic clade including Callimico, and (4) the next living relatives to the callitrichines are Cebus, Saimiri, and Aotus.
authors.affiliation: Primate Genetics, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, Göttingen 37077, Germany. ssinger@gwdg.de
authors.forename: Silke S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schwiegk
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zischler
mesh_terms: D020087:Alu Elements / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002427:Cebidae / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D017931:DNA Primers; D005819:Genetic Markers / Q000235:genetics*; D007438:Introns; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D005819:Genetic Markers