Genomic blot hybridization as a tool of phylogenetic analysis: evolutionary divergence in the genus Drosophila

Comparative, quantitative Southern analysis of genomic DNA, using single-copy sequence probes, potentially is valuable for phylogenetic analysis. We have examined 27 Drosophila species, belonging to two subgenera, seven species groups, and ten subgroups, using a variety of cloned and characterized probes: twelve cloned sequences from D. melanogaster, two from D. pseudoobscura, and two from D. grimshawi. The data are generally congruent with accepted phylogenetic relationships in Drosophila, and confirm or clarify some previously uncertain relationships. The potential and limitations of the method are discussed.