The amino acid sequence of elephant ( Elephas maximus) myoglobin and the phylogeny of Proboscidea

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B. Biological Sciences
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 1980
• Subjects: Sperm whale
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1980.0016; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspb.1980.0016

The complete amino acid sequence of skeletal myoglobin from the Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ) is reported. The functional significance of variations seen when this sequence is compared with that of sperm whale myoglobin is explored in the light of the crystallographic model available for the latter molecule. The phylogenetic implications of the elephant myoglobin amino acid sequence are evaluated by using the maximum parsimony technique. A similar analysis is also presented which incorporates all of the proteins sequenced from the elephant. These results are discussed with respect to current views on proboscidean phylogeny.