Related Experiment Videos
Cercopithecine Y-chromosome data provide a test of competing morphological evolutionary hypotheses
Anthony J Tosi1, Todd R Disotell, Juan Carlos Morales
1Department of Anthropology, Molecular Anthropology Laboratory, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA. ajt5@nyu.edu
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
|May 14, 2003
Summary
This study analyzed testis-specific protein Y-chromosome (TSPY) genes in cercopithecine monkeys, revealing new evolutionary relationships and challenging existing classifications. The findings support monophyly of Macaca and suggest reclassifying certain guenons into the genus Chlorocebus.
Area of Science:
- Primate evolutionary biology
- Molecular evolution
- Primate taxonomy
Background:
- Cercopithecine monkeys encompass diverse genera with complex evolutionary histories.
- Previous classifications relied heavily on morphology, necessitating molecular validation.
- Understanding primate phylogeny is crucial for conservation and evolutionary studies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct the first molecular evolutionary analysis of all 10 extant cercopithecine genera.
- To assess existing morphological hypotheses of cercopithecine evolution using Y-chromosome data.
- To clarify phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic classifications within cercopithecines.
Main Methods:
- Sequencing of approximately 2.2 kb of the testis-specific protein Y-chromosome (TSPY) gene from 44 individuals.
- Parsimony analyses using PAUP 4.0 software.
- Tree comparison tests to evaluate morphological hypotheses.
- Relative rate tests to assess TSPY substitution rates.
Main Results:
- Unambiguous support for monophyly of Macaca.
- Evidence for polyphyly of mangabeys (Cercocebus and Lophocebus).
- Demonstrated paraphyly of Cercopithecus, with Allenopithecus and Miopithecus included in Cercopithecini.
- Unexpected relationships suggesting resurrection of the genus Chlorocebus for specific guenons.
- Significant differences in TSPY substitution rates across Cercopithecini lineages.
- Rate heterogeneity identified between Macaca and "African papionins," enabling divergence date calculations for Papionini.
Conclusions:
- The TSPY gene provides robust data for resolving cercopithecine evolutionary history.
- Molecular data challenge and refine existing taxonomic classifications, particularly for guenons and mangabeys.
- Variable substitution rates necessitate careful calibration for estimating divergence times in primate evolution.