Liu Feiwei, Ma Lele, Yang Chengzhong, Tu Feiyun, Xu Yu, Ran Jianghong, Yue Bisong, Zhang Xiuyue
1 Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology on Endangered Wildlife, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, P.R. China.
Zoolog Sci. 2014 Mar;31(3):160-7. doi: 10.2108/zsj.31.160.
Tetraophasis szechenyii and T. obscurus are endangered phasianid birds endemic to China. Historically, the question of whether T. obscurus and T. szechenyii are valid species or subspecies has been controversial. In order to clarify their phylogenetic relationship, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome of T. obscurus and, using the complete mitochondrial genome of T. szechenyii, which our lab had already sequenced, conducted Bayesian and maximum-likelihood phylogenetic analyses based on the sequences of 12 concatenated heavy-strand encoded protein-coding genes. Genetic distance and divergence time between the two species were also calculated. The complete mitochondrial genome of T. obscurus was 16,707 bases (accession no.: NC_018034), and its structure was similar to mitochondrial genomes reported for other phasianids. The genetic distance between T. obscurus and T. szechenyii was 0.028, and the divergence time of T. obscurus and T. szechenyii was 1.75 Myr. Considering the genetic distance and divergence time, as well as geographical distribution and morphological differences, we suggest that T. obscurus and T. szechenyii are two valid species. The Pleistocene glacial events in the Hengduan Mountains region may have played an important role in the speciation of T. obscurus and T. szechenyii.
藏马鸡和蓝马鸡是中国特有的濒危雉科鸟类。历史上，蓝马鸡和藏马鸡是有效物种还是亚种一直存在争议。为了厘清它们的系统发育关系，我们对蓝马鸡的完整线粒体基因组进行了测序，并利用本实验室已测序的藏马鸡完整线粒体基因组，基于12个串联的重链编码蛋白质编码基因序列进行了贝叶斯和最大似然系统发育分析。还计算了两个物种之间的遗传距离和分歧时间。蓝马鸡的完整线粒体基因组为16,707个碱基（登录号：NC_018034），其结构与其他雉科鸟类报道的线粒体基因组相似。蓝马鸡和藏马鸡之间的遗传距离为0.028，蓝马鸡和藏马鸡的分歧时间为175万年。综合考虑遗传距离、分歧时间以及地理分布和形态差异，我们认为蓝马鸡和藏马鸡是两个有效物种。横断山脉地区的更新世冰川事件可能在蓝马鸡和藏马鸡的物种形成过程中发挥了重要作用。
