Search results for "Monophyly"
showing 10 items of 133 documents
Phylogenetic reconstruction of HCV genotype 1b dissemination in a small city centre: The Camporeale model
2008
Several seroepidemiological population-based surveys carried out in Italy have shown a high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Camporeale (CP), a small Sicilian town with a 10.4% prevalence of HCV mostly genotype 1b, probably represents a specific context, since intravenous drug addiction, and sexual promiscuity are almost absent. In order to reconstruct the pattern of introduction and diffusion of HCV in this ecological niche, the NS5 genomic region of 72 HCV genotype 1 isolates (39 from CP and 33 collected throughout Sicily) was amplified and sequenced. Sequences were aligned and analyzed by BioEdit, PAUP and BEAST, and their molecular evolution compared. Thirty-eight HCV ge…
Status of Corynosoma (Acanthocephala: Polymorphidae) based on anatomical, ecological, and phylogenetic evidence, with the erection of Pseudocorynosom…
2006
The possession of genital spines has been considered as a key taxonomic trait to differentiate Corynosoma from other genera of the Polymorphidae. However, Corynosoma currently consists of 2 groups of species with clear ecological and morphological divergences: the "marine" group (with ca. 30 species) infects mammals and piscivorous birds in the marine realm, whereas the "freshwater" group (with ca. 7 species) infects waterfowl in continental waters. Species from these groups differ in shape of body and neck, trunk spination, lemnisci length and shape, testes arrangement, and number and shape of cement glands. We tested whether species from these 2 groups formed a monophyletic assemblage bas…
Nuclear and chloroplast DNA variation in Cephalaria squamiflora (Dipsacaceae), a disjunct Mediterranean species
2009
Cephalaria squamiflora is a chamaephyte restricted to rupicolous habitats in islands of the Western (Balearic Islands, Sardinia) and Eastern Mediterranean (Crete and few Aegean islands). Four narrowly distributed races (subspp. squamiflora, mediterranea, ebusitana, balearica) have been described to encompass the morphological variation within the species. We have used nuclear ribosomal ITS and cpDNA sequences to assess how the patterns of molecular differentiation are related to taxonomic and geographic boundaries. Extensive intragenomic ITS variation was detected in samples from all territories, the average sequence divergence among cloned ribotypes was 1.339%. The parsimony network of clo…
Evolution and genetic structure of the great tit (Parus major) complex
2003
The great tit complex is divided into four groups, each containing several subspecies. Even though the groups are known to differ markedly on morphological, vocal and behavioural characters, some hybridization occurs in the regions where they meet. The great tit has often been referred to as an example of a ring species, although this has later been questioned. Here, we have studied the genetic structure and phylogenetic relationships of the subspecies groups to clarify the evolutionary history of the complex using control region sequences of the mitochondrial DNA. The subspecies groups were found to be monophyletic and clearly distinct in mitochondrial haplotypes, and therefore must have h…
Phylogeny of the Drosophila obscura species group deduced from mitochondrial DNA sequences
1994
Approximately 2 kb corresponding to different regions of the mtDNA of 14 different species of the obscura group of Drosophila have been sequenced. In spite of the uncertainties arising in the phylogenetic reconstruction due to a restrictive selection toward a high mtDNA A+T content, all the phylogenetic analysis carried out clearly indicate that the obscura group is formed by, at least, four well-defined lineages that would have appeared as the consequence of a rapid phyletic radiation. Two of the lineages correspond to monophyletic subgroups (i.e., affinis and pseudoobscura), whereas the obscura subgroup remains heterogeneous assemblage that could be reasonably subdivided into at least two…
Mitochondrial simple sequenze repeats and 12s – rRNA gene reveal two distinct lineages of Crocidura russula (Mammalia, Sorcidae)
2004
A short segment (135 bp) of the control region and a partial sequence (394 bp) of the 12S-rRNA gene in the mitochondrial DNA of Crocidura russula were analyzed in order to test a previous hypothesis regarding the presence of a gene flow disruption in northern Africa. This breakpoint would have separated northeast-African C. russula populations from the European (plus the northwest-African) populations. The analysis was carried out on specimens from Tunisia (C. r. cf agilis), Sardinia (C. r. ichnusae), and Pantelleria (C. r. cossyrensis), and on C. r. russula from Spain and Belgium. Two C. russula lineages were identified; they both shared R2 tandem repeated motifs of the same length (12 bp)…
Platyzoan mitochondrial genomes.
2012
Platyzoa is a putative lophotrochozoan (spiralian) subtaxon within the protostome clade of Metazoa, comprising a range of biologically diverse, mostly small worm-shaped animals. The monophyly of Platyzoa, the relationships between the putative subgroups Platyhelminthes, Gastrotricha and Gnathifera (the latter comprising at least Gnathostomulida, "Rotifera" and Acanthocephala) as well as some aspects of the internal phylogenies of these subgroups are highly debated. Here we review how complete mitochondrial (mt) genome data contribute to these debates. We highlight special features of the mt genomes and discuss problems in mtDNA phylogenies of the clade. Mitochondrial genome data seem to be …
Complete subunit sequences, structure and evolution of the 6 x 6-mer hemocyanin from the common house centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata.
2003
Hemocyanins are large oligomeric copper-containing proteins that serve for the transport of oxygen in many arthropod species. While studied in detail in the Chelicerata and Crustacea, hemocyanins had long been considered unnecessary in the Myriapoda. Here we report the complete molecular structure of the hemocyanin from the common house centipede Scutigera coleoptrata (Myriapoda: Chilopoda), as deduced from 2D-gel electrophoresis, MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, protein and cDNA sequencing, and homology modeling. This is the first myriapod hemocyanin to be fully sequenced, and allows the investigation of hemocyanin structure-function relationship and evolution. S. coleoptrata hemocyanin is a 6…
Botanical names in Southern Hemisphere Veronica (Plantaginaceae ): sect. Detzneria , sect. Hebe , and sect. Labiatoides
2007
The classification of the Southern Hemisphere Veronica complex is discussed in the light of recent findings that these segregate genera are nested within the hitherto northern Veronica clade. In order to render Veronica monophyletic, we transfer Chionohehe, Derwentia, Detzneria, Hebe, Hebejeebie, Heliohebe, Leonohebe, and Parahebe to Veronica subgen. Pseudoveronica. Correct names are listed for all species in Veronica subgen. Pseudoveronica, according to the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. Those species previously included in Derwentia together with other Australian species of Veronica are now classified in Veronica sect. Labiatoides, that in Detzneria is now classified in Ver…
Analysing disparity by applying combined morphological and molecular approaches to French and Japanese carabid beetles
2000
The expression of morphological disparity within a clade is related to its history and to the environmental parameters within which it develops. Recent developments in geometric morphometries allow quantitative estimation of morphological disparity, and facilitate comparisons with genetic data intended to provide phylogenetic information. Such comparisons were made between two sets of ground beetle species from regions that differ biogeographically and environmentally: 12 post-glacial reinvading species from NE France; and 15 Japanese species less likely to be affected by the Pleistocene glacial events. Genetic relationships were inferred from mitochondrial DNA (ND5 gene). Morphological div…