A salmon id phylogeny inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences

Partial mitochondrial cytochrome b gene sequences of eight salmonid species were used in a PAUP analysis to generate a phylogeny of the group. The four genera represented are Salmo, Salvelinus, Oncorhynchus and Thymallus . The inferred phylogenetic tree coincides well with the classically derived one for these genera. The recent reclassification of the rainbow trout as a member of the genus Oncorhynchus is supported. The assignment of grayling as the outgroup is vindicated. The utility of gene sequence data to infer the phylogenetic relationships of the Salmonidae is discussed.