Systematics ofMaxomysSody, 1936 (Rodentia: Muridae: Murinae): DNA/DNA hybridization studies of some Borneo-Javan species and allied Sundaic and Australo-Papuan genera

• Published in: Biological journal of the Linnean Society 1997-07, Vol.61 (3), p.385-408
• Main Authors: RUEDAS, LUIS A., KIRSCH, JOHN A.W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: evolutionary rates; iogeography; molecular evolution; Sunda Shelf
• ISSN: 0024-4066; 1095-8312
• DOI: 10.1006/bijl.1996.0129

We compared five species of the murine genusMaxomysand representatives of nine other murid genera in a complete 15×15 DNA-hybridization matrix. FITCH trees were calculated for the entire suite of taxa and for subsets including only the fiveMaxomysand these together with the four nearest outgroups. All trees were validated by «bootstrapping» and by jackknifing, performing both single- and multiple-deletions of taxa. The full 15×15 data set indicated a sister-group relationship betweenMaxomysand two pairs of genera (Sundamys-Rattus sensu strictoandNiviventer-Leopoldamys) that are more closely related to each other than toMaxomys; addition of data onBandicotaandBerylmysfrom another recent DNA-hybridization study confirmed that these genera are successive sister-taxa to theSundamys-Rattuspair.Mus-MyomysandUromys-Melomyswere each distinct lineages from the above grouping ofRattus sensu latospecies, and from the putative outgroup sigmodontinePeromyscus, but the interrelations of the three murine clades were unresolved. WithinMaxomys, M. suriferandM. bartelsiiare a related pair, andM. ochraceiventerprobably forms an unresolved trio withM. rajahandM. whiteheadi. Calibration of a tree generated from saturation-corrected distances against a likely divergence-date of 12.2 Mybp for the separation ofMusandRattusconfirms a high rate of single-copy DNA change in murids (2.1%/Myr); and suggests that Sigmodontinae and Murinae diverged at around 15.3 Mybp, thatMaxomysand the group of six otherRattus sensu latoseparated approximately 7.6 Myr ago, and thatMaxomysbegan to diversify 4.8 Myr ago.