6533b873fe1ef96bd12d4468

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Assessing divergence time of Spirulida and Sepiida (Cephalopoda) based on hemocyanin sequences

Bettina EbnerKerstin WarnkeAchim MeyerBernhard Lieb

subject

Phylogenetic treebiologyMesopelagic zonemedicine.medical_treatmentHemocyaninSequence Analysis DNAbiology.organism_classificationDivergenceCephalopodEvolution MolecularPaleontologyCephalopodaEvolutionary biologyHemocyaninsGeneticsmedicineAnimalsSpirulidaSepiaMolecular clockSequence AlignmentMolecular BiologyPhylogenyEcology Evolution Behavior and Systematics

description

Abstract The phylogenetic position of the mesopelagic decabrachian cephalopod Spirula is still a matter of debate. Since hemocyanin has successfully been used to calibrate a molecular clock for many molluscan species, a molecular clock was calculated based on this gene with special attention to the cephalopod genera Spirula and Sepia. The obtained partial sequence comprising ca., one third (3567 bp) of the complete gene is similar to that of Sepia officinalis. The molecular clock was calibrated using the splits of Gastropoda–Cephalopoda (ca. 550 ± 50 mya) and Heterobranchia–Vetigastropoda (ca. 380 ± 10 mya). The resulting hemocyanin-based molecular clock is stable, and the estimated divergence time of Spirulida and Sepiida, some 150 ± 30 million years ago, can be deemed reliable.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2011-02-01Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2010.11.024