Snake phylogeny: evidence from nuclear and mitochondrial genes

We constructed phylogenies of snakes from the c-mos and cytochrome b genes using conventional phylogenetic methods as well as the relatively new method of Bayesian inference. For all methods, there was excellent congruence between the c-mos and cytochrome b genes, implying a high level of support fo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular phylogenetics and evolution 2002-08, Vol.24 (2), p.194-202
Main Authors: Slowinski, Joseph B, Lawson, Robin
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Cytochrome b Group - genetics
DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics
Genes, mos
Nuclear Proteins - genetics
Phylogeny
Snakes - physiology
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Summary:We constructed phylogenies of snakes from the c-mos and cytochrome b genes using conventional phylogenetic methods as well as the relatively new method of Bayesian inference. For all methods, there was excellent congruence between the c-mos and cytochrome b genes, implying a high level of support for the shared clades. Our results agree with previous studies in two important respects: first, that the scolecophidians and alethinophidians are monophyletic sister clades; and second, that the Colubroidea is a monophyletic group with the Acrochordidae as its sister clade. However, our results differ from previous studies in the finding that Loxocemus and Xenopeltis cluster with pythons. An additional noteworthy result from our data is that the genera Exiliboa and Ungaliophis, often placed with Tropidophis (and Trachyboa, not included in the present study) in the Tropidophiidae, are in reality boids.
ISSN:1055-7903
1095-9513
DOI:10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00239-7