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Molecular evolutionary relationships of three genera of nesomyinae, endemic rodent taxa from madagascar

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Abstract

The relationships of Nesomyinae, a group of murid rodents endemic to the island of Madagascar, were investigated with two comparative molecular approaches. Compared to those of other muroid rodents representing Murinae, Cricetinae, Cricetomyinae. Arvicolinae, and Sigmodontinae, complete sequences of the 12S rRNA mitochondrial gene suggest that the Malagasy nesomyinesMacrotarsomys andNesomys are monophyletic and that their sister-group among the taxa analyzed isCricetomys. A limited series of DNA/DNA hybridization experiments extends these observations to a third nesomyine genus,Eliurus, and a second cricetomyine taxon,Saccostomus. By relating the amounts of overall genomic divergence with geological time as calibrated by theMus/Rattus dichotomy estimated at 12–14 My, the oldest within-Nesomyinae dichotomy is estimated to be 10.8 to 12.6 My. Thus, these three genera of Malagasy nesomyine rodents appear to be a rather ancient offshoot from African ancestors whose Recent relatives are Cricetomyinae. This preliminary observation should be confirmed by sampling additional genera of nesomyines and additional representatives for other subfamilies of African muroids.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, UMR 5554 CNRS, Case 064, Université Montpellier II, 34095, Montpellier, France

    Jean-Yves Dubois, Catherine Hänni, Patricia Sourrouille & François M. Catzeflis

  2. Department de Biologie Animale, Faculté des Sciences, Université d'Antananarivo, BP 906, Madagascar

    Daniel Rakotondravony

  3. Unité Oncologie Moléculaire, Institut Pasteur Lille, I rue Calmette, 59019, Lille, France

    Catherine Hänni

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  1. Jean-Yves Dubois
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  4. Patricia Sourrouille
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  5. François M. Catzeflis
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Dubois, JY., Rakotondravony, D., Hänni, C. et al. Molecular evolutionary relationships of three genera of nesomyinae, endemic rodent taxa from madagascar. J Mammal Evol 3, 239–260 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01458182

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