Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026

A Concoction Pipeline for Generating Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) Among Riparian and Aquatic Beetles
Published on: July 11, 2025
Lycodon and Dinodon: one genus or two? Evidence from molecular phylogenetics and morphological comparisons
Peng Guo1, Liang Zhang, Qin Liu
1Biology Institute, Yibin University, Yibin 644007, China. ybguop@163.com
Abstract:
Based on a molecular phylogeny and a comparison of maxillary dentition and morphology, the relationship between the genera Lycodon and Dinodon was investigated. Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood analysis of two mitochondrial genes (cyt b and ND4) and two nuclear genes (c-mos and Rag1) suggested that the two genera shared a most recent common ancestor. However, Dinodon was paraphyletic and Lycodon was polyphyletic, each with respect to the other. The results from counts of maxillary teeth indicated that the diagnostic characters used by previous authors to separate Dinodon and Lycodon were not reliable. Taking the molecular and morphological evidence together, we synonymized Dinodon with Lycodon. In addition, the validity of the species L. futsingensis was confirmed to be distinctly different from the other species of Dinodon and Lycodon.
Related Concept Videos
Evolutionary Relationships through Genome Comparisons
Convergent Evolution
The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes
Phylogeny
Gene Duplication and Divergence
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are characterized.
Gene Families
Occasionally these regions can be adapted to take on new roles within the organism, becoming novel genes...
