Department of Primatology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
PLoS One. 2010 Dec 23;5(12):e14419. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0014419.
Uniquely among hominoids, gibbons exist as multiple geographically contiguous taxa exhibiting distinctive behavioral, morphological, and karyotypic characteristics. However, our understanding of the evolutionary relationships of the various gibbons, especially among Hylobates species, is still limited because previous studies used limited taxon sampling or short mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences. Here we use mtDNA genome sequences to reconstruct gibbon phylogenetic relationships and reveal the pattern and timing of divergence events in gibbon evolutionary history.
METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of 51 individuals representing 11 species belonging to three genera (Hylobates, Nomascus and Symphalangus) using the high-throughput 454 sequencing system with the parallel tagged sequencing approach. Three phylogenetic analyses (maximum likelihood, Bayesian analysis and neighbor-joining) depicted the gibbon phylogenetic relationships congruently and with strong support values. Most notably, we recover a well-supported phylogeny of the Hylobates gibbons. The estimation of divergence times using Bayesian analysis with relaxed clock model suggests a much more rapid speciation process in Hylobates than in Nomascus.
CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Use of more than 15 kb sequences of the mitochondrial genome provided more informative and robust data than previous studies of short mitochondrial segments (e.g., control region or cytochrome b) as shown by the reliable reconstruction of divergence patterns among Hylobates gibbons. Moreover, molecular dating of the mitogenomic divergence times implied that biogeographic change during the last five million years may be a factor promoting the speciation of Sundaland animals, including Hylobates species.
在人科动物中，长臂猿是唯一存在多个地理上连续的分类群的物种，具有独特的行为、形态和染色体特征。然而，我们对各种长臂猿的进化关系的理解仍然有限，特别是在 Hylobates 物种之间，因为之前的研究使用的是有限的分类群采样或短的线粒体 DNA（mtDNA）序列。在这里，我们使用 mtDNA 基因组序列来重建长臂猿的系统发育关系，并揭示长臂猿进化历史中分化事件的模式和时间。
方法/主要发现：我们使用高通量 454 测序系统和平行标记测序方法，对 51 个代表 3 个属（Hylobates、Nomascus 和 Symphalangus）的 11 个物种的个体进行了线粒体基因组测序。三种系统发育分析（最大似然法、贝叶斯分析和邻接法）一致地描绘了长臂猿的系统发育关系，并得到了强有力的支持值。最值得注意的是，我们重建了一个得到很好支持的 Hylobates 长臂猿的系统发育。使用贝叶斯分析放松钟模型估计分歧时间表明，Hylobates 的物种形成过程比 Nomascus 快得多。
结论/意义：使用超过 15kb 的线粒体基因组序列提供了比以前使用短线粒体片段（如控制区或细胞色素 b）的研究更具信息量和稳健性的数据，正如在 Hylobates 长臂猿的分化模式可靠重建中所显示的那样。此外，线粒体基因组分歧时间的分子定年表明，过去五百万年来的生物地理变化可能是促进包括 Hylobates 物种在内的巽他动物物种形成的一个因素。
