Contrasting evolutionary history of hedgehogs and gymnures (Mammalia: Erinaceomorpha) as inferred from a multigene study |
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Authors: | Anna A Bannikova Vladimir S Lebedev Alexei V Abramov Viatcheslav V Rozhnov |
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Institution: | 1. Lomonosov Moscow State University, , 119991 Moscow, Russia;2. Zoological Museum, Moscow State University, , 125009 Moscow, Russia;3. Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, , 199034 St. Petersburg, Russia;4. A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, , 33 Moscow, Russia |
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Abstract: | The subfamilies Erinaceinae and Galericinae of the extant family Erinaceidae are the only living representatives of the once diverse taxon Erinaceomorpha. In the present study, we performed the first multilocus analysis of phylogenetic relationships among genera of Erinaceidae and estimated the split times between and within the two subfamilies. The analyses of five nuclear and two mitochondrial genes produced a well‐resolved molecular phylogeny. Generally, the molecular tree is compatible with the morphology‐based taxonomy proposed by Frost, Wozencraft & Hoffmann with the exception of the position of Mesechinus, which is placed as the closest sister taxon of Hemiechinus. Another point of contradiction between molecular and morphological phylogenies is the position of Hylomys megalotis, which was consistently placed as the most basal branch among all gymnures in molecular analyses. Genetic relationships between Erinaceus and Atelerix remain unclear, suggesting a hard trichotomy among these two lineages and Hemiechinus + Paraechinus. Molecular dating suggests an ancient origin of the extant gymnure lineages, which date back to the late Eocene to early Oligocene. The age of the basal split within spiny hedgehogs is relatively recent and corresponds to the Miocene–Pliocene boundary. Possible changes to the erinaceid taxonomy are considered. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 112 , 499–519. |
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Keywords: | Erinaceinae Galericinae molecular dating nuclear DNA phylogeny species tree |
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