Evolution of Lycopodiaceae Inferred from Spacer Sequencing of Chloroplast rRNA Genes

Nucleotide sequences of a chloroplast rDNA region including 8 bp from the 3" end of 23S rDNA–ITS2–4.5S rDNA–ITS3–5S rDNA–ITS4 (approximately 800 bp) were determined in 25 species of Lycopodiaceae and two species of the genus Isoetes. The rate of molecular evolution of spacers significantly varied in different Lycopsida taxa. A phylogenetic analysis by the neighbor-joining (NJ) method revealed that the family Lycopodiaceae is monophyletic. The topology of phylogenetic trees suggests the isolation of four or probably five genera in family Lycopodiaceae. For these genera, synapomorphic indels were detected. The obtained data were compared with the results of phylogenetic analysis of Lycopsida with regard to other sequences. The relationships of taxa within the family Lycopodiaceae is discussed.     

Molecular genetic characterization of avian <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlamydophila psittaci</Emphasis> isolates

RFLP analysis of the omp1 gene was used to characterize 51 avian Chlamydophila psittaci isolates. The analysis confirmed the predominance of genotype A in parrot C. psittaci isolates and revealed new omp1 genotypes in corvid C. psittaci isolates. The corvid isolates proved to lack an extrachromosomal plasmid. The omp1 and rRNA IGS sequences were determined for the new isolates. Phylogenetic analysis showed that isolate 1V, obtained from a crow, is intermediate in several characters between C. abortus and C. psittaci. The results were compared with data on the phylogenetic relationships of earlier chlamydium isolates.     

Phylogeny and taxonomic reassessment of pikas Ochotona pallasii and O. argentata (Mammalia,Lagomorpha)

We examined a cranial morphometric data set consisting of 186 specimens from the entire distribution range of Ochotona pallasii sensu lato and O. argentata, as well as 67 complete sequences of the COI gene and 28 sequences of the MGF and PRKCI introns from these and closely allied species. Our results show that the two allopatric morphologically similar taxa composing O. pallasii sensu lato – from Mongolia and adjacent territories and Kazakhstan – are paraphyletic relative to O. argentata. Genetic distances between these three taxa are larger than the intraspecific variation known for the subgenus Pika, in which the species under consideration belong; these distances are even larger than the interspecific differences among closely related species such as O. hyperborea, O. mantchurica and O. hoffmanni. Thus, the three focal taxa are recognized here as distinct species. Inspection of the type specimen of O. pallasii indicated that this specimen was not collected in Kazakhstan, has previously been theorized. The most probable place of the holotype's origin is Russian south‐eastern Altai (Chuyskaya Steppe); whatever its exact origin, it definitively originates from the ‘Mongolian’ taxon. Based on this evidence, the senior synonym for the Kazakh pika is O. opaca Argyropulo, 1930. Thus, we propose to recognize three separate species in the O. pallasii species group: O. pallasii (Mongolia and adjacent territories), O. opaca (eastern Kazakhstan) and O. argentata (Helan Shan Range, China).     

Multilocus phylogeny and taxonomy of East Asian voles Alexandromys (Rodentia,Arvicolinae)

Phylogenetic relationships, taxonomy and nomenclature issues within East Asian voles Alexandromys were addressed using comprehensive species samples, including all 12 valid species of the genus, and multilocus analysis. We examined the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) gene and three nuclear genes in 36 specimens. Additionally, we examined a data set of 106 specimens using only the cytb gene. Our results did not confirm the aggregation of A. kikuchii, A. montebelli and A. oeconomus into a separate clade, namely the subgenus Pallasiinus. Analysis of incomplete lineage sorting using JML software highlighted both the cases of mitochondrial introgression and incomplete lineage sorting within the genus. Thus, the sister position of A. sachalinensis and A. maximowiczii in mitochondrial trees could be explained by mitochondrial introgression, while the sister position of A. limnophilus and A. fortis in mitochondrial trees could be successfully explained by incomplete lineage sorting. Very short genetic distances, together with an absence of monophyly, of the three species, A. evoronensis, A. mujanensis and A. maximowiczii, is supported by multiple morphological data, which indicates that these three taxa should be one species—A. maximowiczii. Analysis of genetic distances and tree topology revealed that three species of short‐tailed voles—A. middendorffii, A. mongolicus and A. gromovi—are more closely related to each other than to other established species of Alexandromys. The lacustrine vole, A. limnophilus, is closely related to the group of short‐tailed voles. Analysis of the type specimens of limnophilus and flaviventris confirmed that these taxa form one species together with A. l. malygini. Our results suggest that the mountains of western Mongolia are inhabited by a new taxon of short‐tailed voles of the same rank as middendorffii, mongolicus and gromovi—A. m. alpinus ssp. n.     

Multilocus phylogeny and taxonomy of pikas of the subgenus Ochotona (Lagomorpha,Ochotonidae)

A complete set of pika taxa, belonging to the subgenus Ochotona, was studied using craniometric and multilocus genetic analyses. We examined 1,007 skulls, covering the entire distribution range of the subgenus, as well as the mitochondrial COI gene and three nuclear introns in 31 specimens, representing nearly all taxa in question. An additional set of 167 COI gene sequences and 357 cytb gene sequences was analysed to enlarge the geographical extent of genetic data and to compare the results with previous publications. We found that the subgenus consists of eight species. One of them, Ochotona morosa, is elevated to the full species rank for the first time. The name of this species is given preliminarily and should be studied additionally. Several cases of interspecies hybridisation were found, which indicates that mitochondrial DNA cannot be used for species identification in this subgenus. Taxon Ochotona qionglaiensis, which was recently described as a separate species, represents a relic mitochondrial lineage of Ochotona thibetana. Another recently described species, Ochotona yarlungensis, is a Nubra pika with its native mitochondrial DNA, firstly found for this species. Intraspecies variation was analysed for several species for the first time. Thus, new subspecies (Ochotona thibetana fengii ssp. n.) was found within O. thibetana.