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Molecular phylogenetics of mouse opossums: new findings on the phylogeny of Thylamys (Didelphimorphia, Didelphidae)
Author(s) -
Palma R. Eduardo,
BoricBargetto Dusan,
Jayat J. Pablo,
Flores David A.,
Zeballos Horacio,
Pacheco Víctor,
Cancino Ricardo A.,
Alfaro Fernando D.,
RodríguezSerrano Enrique,
Pardiñas Ulyses F. J.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
zoologica scripta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.204
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1463-6409
pISSN - 0300-3256
DOI - 10.1111/zsc.12051
Subject(s) - biology , monophyly , zoology , genus , phylogenetic tree , phylogenetics , taxon , molecular phylogenetics , evolutionary biology , ecology , clade , biochemistry , gene
The mouse opossums of the genus Thylamys constitute a group of species mainly adapted to open xeric‐like habitats and restricted to the southern portion of South America. We used molecular data (mitochondrial and nuclear sequences) to evaluate the phylogenetic and biogeographical relationships of all currently known living species of the genus, recognizing a new taxon from the middle and high elevations of the Peruvian Andes and evaluating the phylogenetic structuring within T. pallidior and T. elegans , as well as the validity of T. sponsorius , T. cinderella and T. tatei , and the haplogroups recognized within T. pusillus . Our results confirm the monophyly of the genus and that the Caatinga and the Cerrado inhabitants Thylamys karimii and T. velutinus are the most basal species in the radiation of Thylamys . We also calibrated a molecular clock which hypothesized a time of origin of the genus of about 24 My, with most species differentiating in middle and late Miocene and Plio‐Pleistocene times of South America.