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Mitochondrial DNA of the extinct quagga: Relatedness and extent of postmortem change

Journal of Molecular Evolution volume 25, pages 283–287 (1987)Cite this article

Summary

Sequences are reported for portions of two mitochondrial genes from a domestic horse and a plains zebra and compared to those published for a quagga and a mountain zebra. The extinct quagga and plains zebra sequences are identical at all silent sites, whereas the horsse sequence differs from both of them by 11 silent substitutions. Postmortem changes in quagga DNA may account for the two coding substitutions between the quagga and plains zebra sequences. The hypothesis that the closest relative of the quagga is the domestic horse receives no support from these data. From the extent of sequence divergence between horse and zebra mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs), as well as from information about the fossil record, we estimate that the mean rate of mtDNA divergence inEquus is similar to that in other mammals, i.e., roughly 2% per million years.

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Author notes

  1. Russell G. Higuchi

    Present address: Department of Human Genetics, Cetus Corporation, 1400 53rd Street, 94608, Emeryville, California, USA

  2. Lisa A. Wrischnik

    Present address: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, 94143, San Francisco, California, USA

  3. Elizabeth Oakes

    Present address: Stanford University Medical School, 94305, Stanford, California, USA

  4. Matthew George

    Present address: Department of Biochemistry, Howard University, 20059, Washington, D.C., USA

  5. Benton Tong

    Present address: Hematology Research, Jewish Hospital, 216 S. Kingshighway, 63110, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, University of California, 94720, Berkeley, California, USA

    Russell G. Higuchi, Lisa A. Wrischnik, Elizabeth Oakes & Allan C. Wilson

  2. Research Department, Zoological Society of San Diego, 92112, San Diego, California, USA

    Matthew George & Benton Tong

Authors
  1. Russell G. Higuchi
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  2. Lisa A. Wrischnik
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  3. Elizabeth Oakes
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  4. Matthew George
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  5. Benton Tong
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  6. Allan C. Wilson
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Higuchi, R.G., Wrischnik, L.A., Oakes, E. et al. Mitochondrial DNA of the extinct quagga: Relatedness and extent of postmortem change. J Mol Evol 25, 283–287 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02603111

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02603111

Key words

  • Ancient DNA
  • Base sequences
  • Tree analysis
  • Postmortem change
  • Cytochrome oxidase
  • NADH dehydrogenase
  • Zebras
  • Horse
  • Fossil record
  • Molecular clock