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AFLPs support deep relationships among darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae) consistent with morphological hypotheses
T A Smith1, T C Mendelson, L M Page
1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland-Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Citcle, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA. tsmith6@umbc.edu
Heredity
|June 30, 2011
Summary
Amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) effectively resolve deep evolutionary relationships in the Percidae family, aligning with morphological data. This molecular technique overcomes challenges in ancient divergences with sufficient data and sampling.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Molecular Phylogenetics
- Genomics
Background:
- Deep evolutionary relationships are challenging to resolve using molecular data.
- Previous molecular analyses of the Percidae family have conflicted with morphological hypotheses.
- Amplified fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs) have shown potential for resolving deep evolutionary divergences.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of AFLPs for resolving deep evolutionary relationships within the Percidae family.
- To compare AFLP-derived phylogenetic hypotheses with those from morphological and previous molecular analyses.
- To assess the utility of AFLPs for resolving ancient divergences (>25 million years ago).
Main Methods:
- Phylogenetic analysis using Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs).
- Comparison of genetic distances derived from AFLPs and mitochondrial DNA.
- Evaluation of different AFLP data analysis methods (Nei-Li vs. Dice equation).
Main Results:
- AFLP analysis provided phylogenetic resolution within Percidae consistent with morphological hypotheses.
- Ancient divergences (>25 million years ago) were successfully resolved.
- The number of shared fragments correlated inversely with evolutionary distance.
- Large datasets and extensive taxon sampling mitigated challenges for deep divergences.
Conclusions:
- AFLPs are effective for resolving deep evolutionary relationships in Percidae, offering a valuable tool for phylogenetic reconstruction.
- The study highlights the importance of data size and taxon sampling when using AFLPs for ancient divergences.
- AFLP-based phylogenies can reconcile molecular and morphological data in evolutionary studies.
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