瓦氏黄颡鱼线粒体全基因组序列分析及系统进化

鲿科鱼类种类繁多,外形相似,形态学分类较为困难。为了给鲿科鱼类乃至鲇形目鱼类的系统进化研究积累基础资料,文章采用参照近缘物种线粒体基因组设计覆盖全基因组引物的方法,利用16对引物对瓦氏黄颡鱼(Pelteobagrus vachelli)线粒体全基因组进行扩增,PCR产物转化到质粒后测序,最终获得线粒体基因组全序列,其全长为16 527 bp,包括2个rRNA基因、22个tRNA基因、13个编码蛋白质基因和一个非编码控制区。瓦氏黄颡鱼(P.vachelli)线粒体基因组结构和基因排列顺序与现已公布的鲇形目鱼类完全一致,序列分析表明,与鲇形目其他种属间具有较高的同源性,与拟鲿属的同源性最高(91%)。利用鲇形目共4科6属9种及3个外群的线粒体全基因组序列,从线粒体基因组水平探讨了鲿科鱼类及其在鲇形目的系统进化地位,结果表明:鲿科鱼类的瓦氏黄颡鱼(P.vachelli)、黄颡鱼(Pelteobagrus fulvidraco)、光泽黄颡鱼(Pelteobagrus nitidus)及越南拟鲿(Pseudobagrus tokiensis)构成一单系群;拟鲿属与黄颡鱼属的关系较近;黄颡鱼属中瓦氏黄颡鱼(P.vachelli)与光泽黄颡鱼(P.nitidus)的关系近于黄颡鱼(P.fulvidraco)。     

利用18S和ITS序列揭示8种鲇形目鱼类的系统发育

为了探讨鲇形目(Siluriformes)鱼类系统发育关系,本研究克隆了黄颡鱼(Pelteobagrus fulvidraco)、长吻(Leiocassis longirostris)、斑鳠(Mystus guttatus)、革胡子鲇(Clarias gariepinus)、鲇鱼(Silurus asotus)和斑点叉尾(Ictalurus punctatus)6种鱼类的18S和两个内转录间隔区(包括全长ITS1-5.8S-ITS2)基因,结合GenBank中双须缺鳍鲇(Kryptopterus bicirrhis)和脂鳍胡鲇(Dinotopterus cunningtoni)的同源序列进行比较分析,结果表明,(1)8种鱼18S的长度为1814～1842bp,同源性达97%以上,5.8S均为157bp,同源性也高达99.36%～100%;(2)8种鱼ITS1长度为335～620bp,其中,黄颡鱼的最长,为618～620bp,斑点叉尾的最短,为335～336bp;ITS2长度为265～459bp,其中,脂鳍胡鲇最长,为459bp,斑点叉尾的最短,约为270bp。ITS1序列的同源性为29.45%～88.21%,其中,革胡子鲇和脂鳍胡鲇同源性最高,鲇鱼和革胡子鲇同源性最低。ITS2序列的同源性为41.59%～94.07%,其中,革胡子鲇和脂鳍胡鲇同源性最高,鲇鱼和革胡子鲇同源性最低;(3)分别以鲤鱼(Cyprinus carpio)18S和ITS为外群,采用NJ法构建18S、ITS系统发育树,结果显示,鲇科与胡鲇科的关系最近,鲿科与这两科关系较远,科与另外3科关系最远。鲿科中属和黄颡鱼属的关系较鳠属更近;胡鲇科的胡鲇属和脂鳍胡鲇属是关系很近的两个属;鲇科的鲇属和缺鳍鲇属是关系较远的两属。     

中国鲿科鱼类线粒体DNA控制区结构及其系统发育分析

采用PCR技术获得了中国鲿科鱼类代表种类线粒体DNA控制区基因的全序列,对控制区基因结构进行了分析,并选用粒鲇科的中华粒鲇,鮡科的三线纹胸鮡作为外类群,用最大简约法(MP)和邻接法(NJ)构建了系统发育树。结果显示鲿科鱼类中控制区基因适于系统发育分析,鲿科鱼类构成一个单系类群;圆尾拟鲿应该放入鮠属里。     

南方鲇线粒体基因组全序列与骨鳔鱼类分化时间的估算

用PCR方法获得了南方鲇（Silurus meridionalis）的线粒体基因组全序列,长度为16533bp,南方鲇线粒体基因组中A和T的含量略高（（A＋T）为55.17%）,12S rRNA,16S rRNA,tRNA和控制区的（A＋T）含量分别为52.44%,55.23%,55.97%和60.24%）.基于选取的36种代表性种类线粒体全序列中的11个蛋白编码基因,构建了骨鳔鱼类系统发育树,并以骨鳔鱼类化石记录为标定点,运用松散分子钟方法估算物种分化时间.结果表明,耳鳔系鱼类为强烈支持的单系,鲤形目位于该类群的基部,脂鲤目和电鳗目构成姐妹群,然后和鲇形目构成姐妹群.骨鳔鱼类起源于三叠纪（约为231Mya）,耳鳔系起源于三叠纪晚期（约为216Mya）,其代表类群均起源于侏罗纪晚期（鲇形目、鲤形目、脂鲤目、电鳗目的分化发生在161～139Mya）,南方鲇的物种分化时间约为白垩纪中期,估算的分化时间远早于化石记录.     

广西河池地区鱼类资源调查及两支流的鱼类多样性比较

于1994年至2008年间,对广西河池地区的柳江水系和红水河水系进行了鱼类资源调查。依据实际调查,并结合以往文献记载,这两水系中分布的鱼类共有185种,分别隶属于9目21科107属。较以前调查,新增种类21种,包括1新属19新种。柳江水系分布的鱼类共有134种,分别隶属于8目19科88属。其中,鲤形目鱼类的种类最多,鲈形目鱼类次之,鲇形目鱼类第三,其他目的鱼类种类相对较少,仅1—3种。红水河水系分布的鱼类共有157种,分别隶属于8目20科101属。其中,鲤形目鱼类的种类最多,鲇形目鱼类次之,鲈形目鱼类第三,其他目的鱼类种类相对较少。红水河水系的鱼类多样性较柳江水系丰富,其主要原因为红水河流经区域喀斯特地貌发育,地下河流众多而且流域面积广,水量充沛。     

用mtDNA 12S rRNA序列变异检验鲤形目鱼类系统发育关系

通过对鲤形目鱼类5个科的代表类群的完整线粒体12S rRNA进行测序和分析,以检验目前的形态学假说。经序列比对后,有1000个位点,其中467个位点在茎区,533个在环区;有395个位点为变化位点,其中267个为系统发育信息位点。采用邻接法和最大简约法进行了系统发育分析,其结果支持鲤科鱼类成为一个单系群,非鲤科的鲤形目鱼类成为另一个单系群的观点,这与Siebert提出的假说相一致。鲤科鱼类包含3个主要的分支,即鱼丹系、鲤系和雅罗鱼系;但在非鲤科鲤形目鱼类中,其关系不能得到很好的解决,其中鳅科是复系,平鳍鳅科、条鳅亚科和花鳅亚科可能有较近的亲缘关系。     

10种鲤形目鱼类ZP2基因的克隆及特征分析

利用RT-PCR技术克隆了10种鲤形目Cypriniformes鱼类卵透明带蛋白(ZP2)基因的cDNA全长序列,并初步探讨了这些鱼类ZP2基因的重复结构域变异与产卵习性的相关性。序列分析表明,10种鲤形目鱼类ZP2基因cDNA序列长度差异较大(1 254～1 734 bp),其编码的氨基酸保守结构域集中在N端信号肽序列、三叶草结构域和ZP结构域,变异集中在N端重复结构域中,不同物种的重复单元和重复次数不同,其中产漂流性卵和产沉性卵鱼类的重复结构域不含重复单元或重复单元重复次数较少(2～5次),而产粘性卵鱼类的重复结构域中通常含有多次重复单元(7～19次)。同源性分析结果显示,在鲤形目鱼类中,团头鲂Megalobrama amblycephala与鳊Parabramis pekinensis的相似性最高(99.7%),斑马鱼Danio rerio和鲫Carassius auratus的相似性最低(71.2%)。系统进化分析显示,鲤形目鱼类的ZP2氨基酸序列聚为一个单系,其中斑马鱼单独聚为一支,位于系统树的基部位置,与其他鲤形目鱼类形成姐妹群。10种鲤形目鱼类ZP2蛋白的二级结构成分和三维结构均存在一定的差异。进化选择压力分析结果表明,ZP2基因在鲤形目鱼类中受到正向选择,可能对其功能产生影响。     

广东北江流域部分野生淡水鱼类种质资源调查

为了解广东省北江流域野生淡水鱼类种质资源和遗传多样性,于2007—2008年开展了广东省北江流域部分野生淡水鱼类的调查,运用线粒体DNA D-loop测序方法开展遗传多样性分析,测定采集鱼类的mtDNA D-loop基因序列并提交GenBank数据库,运用相关软件分析序列并建立聚类树。采集的野生淡水鱼类32种,隶属于3目10科27属,其中鲤形目鱼类21种,占65.6%,鲈形目鱼类4种,占12.5%,鲇形目鱼类7种,占21.9%。在鲤形目鱼类中,鳅科、平鳍鳅科、爬鳅科共12种,占鲤形目鱼类的57.1%。调查结果表明,北江流域存在丰富的野生淡水鱼类物种多样性,须采取有效措施保护北江流域淡水鱼类资源。测定的线粒体DNA D-loop序列均提交GenBank数据库获得序列号：EU380208-EU380236,EU697088-EU697148。测序结果和聚类树分析表明,线粒体DNA D-loop可作为鱼类种类鉴定的分子标记,分析结果印证了传统形态分类学的知识,提供了分子生物学证据。     

四川南广河的鱼类

2012年1~12月,对南广河四川段鱼类资源进行了调查,在8个采样点共采集标本333尾,经鉴定为32种,隶属3目7科23属。结合访问调查和相关资料,南广河历史上共有鱼类92种,隶属6目14科63属。南广河鱼类种类较多,以鲤形目和鲇形目鱼类为主,但目前分布的种类已明显减少。     

大口鲇微卫星标记在三个鲇形目鱼类种群间适用性研究

研究分析了12对大口鲇(Silurus meriaionalis)微卫星标记引物在兰州鲇(Silurus lanzhouensis)、鲇(Silurus asotus)及革胡子鲇(Clarias fuscus)各群体间通用性。结果表明,大口鲇微卫星标记引物除位点DQ223147、DQ223160扩增无特异性条带,位点DQ223149、DQ223159无多态性外,其余8对在这几种鲇形目鱼类中具有较高的通用性,每个位点等位基因数为2—15个不等;不同重复拷贝类别的位点以富含AC重复单元的等位基因数较多,多态性比较丰富。4个群体平均观测杂合度为0.7571,平均期望杂合度为0.6870,平均多态性信息含量0.6441,均为高度多态,说明这8个位点适用于鲇形目鱼类的遗传学研究。采用Nei’s遗传距离(D)绘制NJ系统发育树,4个群体聚成两大类,兰州鲇与鲇群体先聚类后和大口鲇聚为一大类,革胡子鲇聚为另一大类。8个有效微卫星位点中3个具有特异基因型的稀有等位基因位点(DQ223146、DQ223151与DQ223173),可区分4种鲇形目鱼类,作为其种质鉴定的标记位点。借用已有鲇形目鱼类遗传标记资源,增加同目鱼类遗传连锁图谱上遗传标记的密度,将对今后开展鲇形目鱼类种质资源保护及分子育种奠定坚实基础。     

A phylogenetic analysis of the major groups of catfishes (Teleostei: Siluriformes) using rag1 and rag2 nuclear gene sequences

Higher-level relationships among catfishes were investigated by parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses of two nuclear genes across 110 catfish species representing 36 of 37 families and Conorhynchos (family incertae sedis). Analysis of 3660 aligned base pairs from the rag1 and rag2 genes confirms monophyly of Siluriformes, of most siluriform families and of a number of multifamily groups, some recognized, some novel. South American Loricarioidei are recovered as the sistergroup to other catfishes which are divided into Diplomystidae and Siluroidei. This result contrasts with the prevailing hypothesis that Diplomystidae is the sister to all other catfishes. Monophyly of Siluroidei is supported by rag data including a unique three-codon deletion from rag1. Deep within Siluroidei are 12 large, strongly supported groups with poorly resolved interrelationships. Five are single families: Cetopsidae, Plotosidae, Chacidae, Siluridae and Pangasiidae. Four others are monophyletic taxa ranked here as superfamilies: Clarioidea (Clariidae, Heteropneustidae), Arioidea (Ariidae, Anchariidae), Pimelodoidea (Pimelodidae, Pseudopimelodidae, Heptapteridae, Conorhynchos), Ictaluroidea (Ictaluridae, Cranoglanididae). South American Doradoidea (Doradidae, Auchenipteridae) and Aspredinidae are a sistergroup pair. Sisoroidea (without Aspredinidae), Ailia+Laides, Horabagridae, and Bagridae (without Rita) form a large, predominantly Asian clade, "Big Asia." Mochokidae, Malapteruridae, Amphiliidae, Claroteidae, and African schilbids are united as a species-rich African clade, "Big Africa." The three large continental clades, "Big Asia," "Big Africa" and Neotropical Loricarioidei suggest a prevalence of intracontinental diversification of catfishes. South America is the home of the Gymnotiformes, putative sistergroup of catfishes, plus two of the deepest siluriform clades, Loricarioidei and Diplomystidae, thus suggesting an ancient siluriform presence if not origin there. The rag phylogeny does not identify any African-South American catfish clade. The well-known African-Asian relationships within families Clariidae and Bagridae are confirmed, as is the recently found North American-Asian relationship between Ictaluridae and Cranoglanididae.     

The phylogenetic relationships among non-diplomystid catfishes as inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences; the search for the ictalurid sister taxon (Otophysi: Siluriformes)

The relationships among families of catfishes are poorly understood and have yet to be the subject of a comprehensive investigation with molecular data. Existing phylogenetic hypotheses are based on morphological data and incompletely resolved. This study analyzed complete sequences of mitochondrial gene cytochrome b for 170 species from 29 of 33 extant families, and focused on the relationships of Ictaluridae to other catfishes. In addition to previous phylogenetic studies, the fossil record, paleogeography, biogeography, and distribution of extant catfish families collectively suggest the location (if extant) of the ictalurid sister taxon to be Northern or Eastern Asia. Of the extant catfishes currently native to this area and included in this analysis, parsimony and Bayesian likelihood analyses recovered Cranoglanis bouderius as the most proximal sister taxon of Ictaluridae. Seemingly, ictalurids and cranoglanidids represent another biogeographic component linking freshwater fishes of North America and eastern Asia, e.g., catostomids and paddlefishes. The results coupled with present-day catfish distributions and inferences from the fossil record collectively suggest the ancestor of Ictaluridae to have invaded freshwaters of North America at the close of the Cretaceous through northeastern Asia and northwestern North America. Other superfamilial nodes supported the results of previous phylogenetic studies of narrower taxonomic scope. Several novel relationships were recovered (including a clade composed of Pimelodidae, Pseudopimelodidae, and Heptapteridae) and these along with sources of systematic error are discussed. A broad sampling of Bagridae permitted an examination of intergeneric relationships within this family and in light of recent morphological and molecular studies.     

Phylogenetic relationships of glyptosternoid fishes (Siluriformes: Sisoridae) inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences

To explore phylogenetic relationships among glyptosternoid fishes, we determined nucleotide sequences of the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene region (1138 base pair). Thirteen species of glyptosternoid fishes and six species of non-glyptosternoids represent 10 sisorid genera were examined. Molecular phylogenetic trees were constructed using the maximum parsimony, minimum evolution, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses support the monophyly of glyptosternoids, but our hypothesis of internal relationships differs from previous hypothesis. Results indicated that glyptosternoid is a monophyletic group and genera Glyptosternum and Exostoma are two basal species having a primitive position among it. Genera Euchiloglanis and Pareuchiloglanis form a sister-group. Then they form a sister-group with Pseudexostoma plus Oreoglanis. Our result also found that Pareuchiloglanis anteanalis might be considered as the synonyms of Parechiloglanis sinensis, and genus Euchiloglanis might have only one valid species, Euchiloglanis davidi.     

Molecular phylogenetic relationships of Eastern Asian Cyprinidae (Pisces: Cypriniformes) inferred from cytochrome b sequences

Cyprinidae, the largest fish family, comprises ap-proximately 210 recognized genera and 2010 species that are distributed widely in Eurasia, East Indian Is-land, Africa, and North America[1]. Species richness of this family is the greatest in East Asia, for example, China has 122 genera and more than 600 species. It is difficult to build a comprehensive phylogeny of Cy-prinidae due to the large number of genera and species. The classification of this family has been subject to revisions an…     

The complete mitochondrial genome of the helmet catfish Cranoglanis bouderius (Siluriformes: Cranoglanididae) and the phylogeny of otophysan fishes

The complete sequence of the 16,539 nucleotide mitochondrial genome from the single species of the catfish family Cranoglanididae, the helmet catfish Cranoglanis bouderius, was determined using the long and accurate polymerase chain reaction (LA PCR) method. The nucleotide sequences of C. bouderius mitochondrial DNA have been compared with those of three other catfish species in the same order. The contents of the C. bouderius mitochondrial genome are 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA and 22 transfer RNA genes, and a non-coding control region, the gene order of which is identical to that observed in most other vertebrates. Phylogenetic analyses for 13 otophysan fishes were performed using Bayesian method based on the concatenated mtDNA protein-coding gene sequence and the individual protein-coding gene sequence data set. The competing otophysan topologies were then tested by using the approximately unbiased test, the Kishino-Hasegawa test, and the Shimodaira-Hasegawa test. The results show that the grouping ((((Characiformes, Gymnotiformes), Siluriformes), Cypriniformes), outgroup) is the most likely but there is no significant difference between this one and the other alternative hypotheses. In addition, the phylogenetic placement of the family Cranoglanididae among siluriform families was also discussed.     

The complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of the Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas), and the phylogenetic relationships among Siluriformes

The Mekong giant catfish (Pangasianodon gigas) is the largest scale-less freshwater fish of the world, and a critically endangered species. We determined the complete nucleotide sequence (16,533 bp) of the mitochondrial genome of the Mekong giant catfish, and conducted phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial protein (the combined amino acid sequences of all 13 mitochondrial protein coding genes) and rRNA (the combined nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes) data sets in order to further clarify the relative phylogenetic position of P. gigas, and to recover phylogenetic relationships among 15 out of the 33 families of Siluriformes. Phylogenetic analyses (maximum parsimony, minimum evolution, maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference) of the protein data set were congruent with a basal split of the order into Loricarioidei and Siluroidei, and supported a closer relationship of the Mekong giant catfish (family Pangasiidae) to Siluridae than to Bagridae. The rRNA-based Bayesian phylogeny recovered Callichthyidae as the sister group of all other analyzed non-diplomystid catfish families, rendering Loricarioidei paraphyletic. In addition, Loricariidae were recovered as paraphyletic due to the inclusion of Astroblepidae. However, none of the two relationships received bootstrap support in the maximum parsimony, minimum evolution, and maximum likelihood analyses, and should be interpreted with caution. The derived position of Cetopsidae within Siluroidei, the sister group relationship of Pseudopimelodidae and Pimelodidae, and a close relationship of Doradidae and Auchenipteridae to the exclusion of Mochokidae were strongly supported. Pangasiidae was placed as a single lineage without clear affinities.     

基于Cyt b基因的网翅蝗科系统发生重建

研究测定了蝗总科25种蝗虫的线粒体Cyt b部分序列,并从GenBank中下载了19种蝗亚目昆虫的Cyt b基因相应序列片段。本文目的是要建立网翅蝗科的系统发育关系并说明网翅蝗科在蝗总科中的分类地位。以瘤锥蝗科的云南蝗Yunnanites coriacea和长额橄蝗Tagasta marginella作为外群,用MP法和贝叶斯法重建系统发生树。比对后的序列长度是384 bp,包括167个简约信息位点。A T平均含量为70.7%,C G 平均含量29.3%。分子系统树表明:网翅蝗科并不是一个单系群。网翅蝗亚科和竹蝗亚科并非单系群。现存的雏蝗属并非单系群,应该是多系群。分子系统学研究结果和传统的基于形态特征的网翅蝗科分类体系有很大的不同。     

Molecular phylogenetic relationships of Eastern Asian Cyprinidae (Pisces: Cypriniformes) inferred from cytochrome <Emphasis Type="Italic">b</Emphasis> sequences

Complete mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences of 54 species, including 18 newly sequenced, were analyzed to infer the phylogenetic relationships within the family Cyprinidae in East Asia. Phylogenetic trees were generated using various tree-building methods, including Neighbor-joining (NJ), Maximum Parsimony (MP) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) methods, with Myxocyprinus asiaticus (family Catostomidae) as the designated outgroup. The results from NJ and ML methods were mostly similar, supporting some existing subfamilies within Cyprinidae as monophyletic, such as Cultrinae, Xenocyprinae and Gobioninae (including Gobiobotinae). However, genera within the subfamily “Danioninae” did not form a monophyletic group. The subfamily Leuciscinae was divided into two unrelated groups: the “Leuciscinae” in East Asia forming as a monophyletic group together with Cultrinae and Xenocyprinae, while the Leuciscinae in Europe, Siberia, and North America as another monophyletic group. The monophyly of subfamily Cyprininae sensu Howes was supported by NJ and ML trees and is basal in the tree. The position of Acheilognathinae, a widely accepted monophyletic group represented by Rhodeus sericeus, was not resolved.     

Phylogeny and biogeography of Chinese sisorid catfishes re-examined using mitochondrial cytochrome b and 16S rRNA gene sequences

The family Sisoridae is one of the largest and most diverse Asiatic catfish families, most species occurring in the water systems of the Qinhai-Tibetan Plateau and East Himalayas. To date published morphological and molecular phylogenetics hypotheses of sisorid catfishes are part congruent, and there are some areas of significant disagreement with respect to intergeneric relationships. We used mitochondrial cytochrome b and 16S rRNA gene sequences to clarify existing gaps in phylogenetics and to test conflicting vicariant and dispersal biogeographical hypotheses of Chinese sisorids using dispersal-vicariance analysis and weighted ancestral area analysis in combination with palaeogeographical data as well as molecular clock calibration. Our results suggest that: (1) Chinese sisorid catfishes form a monophyletic group with two distinct clades, one represented by (Gagata (Bagarius, Glyptothorax)) and the other by (glyptosternoids, Pseudecheneis); (2) the glyptosternoid is a monophyletic group and Glyptosternum, Glaridoglanis, and Exostoma are three basal species having a primitive position among it; (3) a hypothesis referring to Pseudecheneis as the sister group of the glyptosternoids, based on morphological evidence, is supported; (4) the genus Pareuchiloglanis, as presently defined, is not monophyletic; (5) congruent with previous hypotheses, the uplift of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau played a primary role in the speciation and radiation of the Chinese sisorids; and (6) an evolutionary scenario combining aspects of both vicariance and dispersal theory is necessary to explain the distribution pattern of the glyptosternoids. In addition, using a cytochrome b substitution rate of 0.91% per million years and 0.23% for 16S rRNA, we tentatively date that the glyptosternoids most possibly originated in Oligocene-Miocene boundary (19-24Myr), and radiated from Miocene to Pleistocene, along with a center of origin in the Irrawaddy-Tsangpo drainages and several rapid speciation in a relatively short time.     

Sequences from 14 mitochondrial genes provide a well-supported phylogeny of the Charadriiform birds congruent with the nuclear RAG-1 tree

Because of the difficulties of constructing a robust phylogeny for Charadriiform birds using morphological characters, recent studies have turned to DNA sequences to resolve the systematic uncertainties of family-level relationships in this group. However, trees constructed using nuclear genes or the mitochondrial Cytochrome b gene suggest deep-level relationships of shorebirds that differ from previous studies based on morphology or DNA-DNA hybridization distances. To test phylogenetic hypotheses based on nuclear genes (RAG-1, myoglobin intron-2) and single mitochondrial genes (Cytochrome b), approximately 13,000 bp of mitochondrial sequence was collected for one exemplar species of 17 families of Charadriiformes plus potential outgroups. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses show that trees constructed from long mitochondrial sequences are congruent with the nuclear gene topologies [Chardrii (Lari, Scolopaci)]. Unlike short mitochondrial sequences (such as Cytochrome b alone), longer sequences yield a well-supported phylogeny for shorebirds across various taxonomic levels. Examination of substitution patterns among mitochondrial genes reveals specific genes (especially ND5, ND4, ND2, and COI) that are better suited for phylogenetic analyses among shorebird families because of their relatively homogeneous nucleotide composition among lineages, slower accumulation of substitutions at third codon positions, and phylogenetic utility in both closely and distantly related lineages. For systematic studies of birds in which family and generic levels are examined simultaneously, we recommend the use of both nuclear and mitochondrial sequences as the best strategy to recover relationships that most likely reflect the phylogenetic history of these lineages.