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Platyrrhine systematics: a simultaneous analysis of molecular and morphological data
I Horovitz1, R Zardoya, A Meyer
1Department of Ecology and Evolution, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 11794-5245, USA. horovitz@amnh.org
American Journal of Physical Anthropology
|August 8, 1998
Summary
Mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA, and morphological data were combined to resolve platyrrhine (New World monkey) phylogeny. Simultaneous analysis revealed a robust evolutionary tree, clarifying relationships among major monkey clades.
Area of Science:
- Primate evolutionary biology
- Molecular phylogenetics
- Comparative genomics
Background:
- Previous studies on platyrrhine phylogeny using morphological and nuclear DNA data yielded inconsistent results.
- Mitochondrial genomes have emerged as valuable sources for phylogenetic inference.
- The evolutionary history of New World monkeys remains incompletely resolved.
Purpose of the Study:
- To generate a cladistic phylogeny of platyrrhines using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene sequences.
- To integrate mtDNA data with existing nuclear DNA and morphological data in a simultaneous analysis.
- To resolve inconsistencies in previous platyrrhine phylogenetic studies.
Main Methods:
- DNA sequence data were collected for fragments of the 16S and the entire 12S mitochondrial genes.
- Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using cladistic methods.
- A simultaneous analysis was performed, combining mitochondrial DNA, nuclear DNA, and morphological datasets.
Main Results:
- Mitochondrial data analyzed alone produced a cladogram distinct from those derived from other datasets.
- The simultaneous analysis of all data sets yielded a robust phylogeny, congruent with nuclear DNA and morphological data.
- A basal dichotomy was resolved, leading to two major clades: [Atelinae (Callicebus + Pitheciini)] and [Aotus ((Cebus, Saimiri) (Callitrichinae))].
Conclusions:
- Simultaneous analysis of mitochondrial, nuclear, and morphological data provides a more congruent and stable phylogenetic hypothesis for platyrrhines.
- The study highlights the utility of mitochondrial genomes in resolving primate evolutionary history.
- While overall relationships were clarified, the precise placement of Aotus and relationships within callitrichines and atelines require further investigation.