title: Pliocene isolation of a north-west Saharan cichlid fish.
abstract: The evolutionary origin of the only north-west Saharan haplochromine cichlid, Astatotilapia desfontainii, was explored using mitochondrial DNA sequences. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that this species belonged to the main East African-Nilotic haplochromine clade, but was a distinct lineage that diverged from modern haplochromines in the Pliocene. The results suggest that A. desfontainii is a relict haplochromine lineage that has endured major climate fluctuations in North Africa.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol, BS8 1UG, UK. m.genner@bristol.ac.uk
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Genner
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Haesler
mesh_terms: D000352:Africa, Northern; D000818:Animals; D023681:Cichlids / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D057231:Climate Change; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D049810:Genetic Speciation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial