MITOCHONDRIAL CYTOCHROME B SEQUENCE DIVERGENCE AMONG SPANISH, ALPINE AND ABRUZZO

• Main Authors: Chamois (genus Rupzcapra, Nadia Mucci, Ettore Randi, Leonardo Gentile, Franco Mar *o, Maurizio Locati, Parco Nazionale D'abruzzo
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: muskox
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.546.4674; http://biocenosi.dipbsf.uninsubria.it/atit/PDF/Volume10(2)/10(2)_4.pdf

ABSTRACT- We have studied genetic divergence and phylogenetic relationships of Alpine, Spanish and Abruzzo chamois (genus Rupicapra) by sequencing a region of 330 nucleotides within the mito-chondrial DNA cytochrome b gene (mtDNA cyt 6). These sequences were aligned with additional ho-mologous sequences of Caprinae: Japanese serow, Chinese goral, Canadian mountain goat, Mishmi takin, muskox, Sardinian mouflon and domestic goat. Results suggest that, using representatives of the Bovini as outgroups, the Caprinae constitute a monophyletic clade. However, inferred phyloge-netic relationships among and within tribes of Caprinae were poorly defined and did not reflect cur-rent evolutionary and taxonomical views. In fact, the Asian Rupicaprini goral and serow constituted a strongly supported clade, which included the muskox, while the takin grouped with Uvis. Therefore, the monophyly of Ovibovini was not supported by cyt b sequences. Species of Rupicapra joined a strongly supported monophyletic clade, which was distantly related to the Asian rupicaprins and Ore-amnos. Therefore, the monophyly of the Rupicaprini was not supported by these cyt h sequences. There were sister species relationships within Rupicapra, Spanish and Alpine chamois and the Abruz-zo chamois (Rupicupru pyrenaica ornata) was strictly related to the Spanish chamois (Rupicapra pyre-naica parva), as previously suggested by allozyme data and hiogeographic reconstructions.