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Molecular evidence from retroposons that whales form a clade within even-toed ungulates

Author

Listed:
  • Mitsuru Shimamura

    (Faculty of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology)

  • Hiroshi Yasue

    (Animal Genome Research Group, National Institute of Animal Industry)

  • Kazuhiko Ohshima

    (Faculty of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology)

  • Hideaki Abe

    (Faculty of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology)

  • Hidehiro Kato

    (Large Cetacean Section, National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries)

  • Toshiya Kishiro

    (Large Cetacean Section, National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries)

  • Mutsuo Goto

    (Genetic Ecology Section, The Institute of Cetacean Research)

  • Isao Munechika

    (Chiba Zoological Park)

  • Norihiro Okada

    (Faculty of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Tokyo Institute of Technology)

Abstract

The origin of whales and their transition from terrestrial life to a fully aquatic existence has been studied in depth. Palaeontological1,2, morphological3 and molecular studies4,5,6,7 suggest that the order Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises) is more closely related to the order Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates, including cows, camels and pigs) than to other ungulate orders. The traditional view that the order Artiodactyla is monophyletic has been challenged by molecular analyses of variations in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA5,6,7. We have characterized two families of short interspersed elements (SINEs) that were present exclusively in the genomes of whales, ruminants and hippopotamuses, but not in those of camels and pigs. We made an extensive survey of retropositional events that might have occurred during the divergence of whales and even-toed ungulates. We have characterized nine retropositional events of a SINE unit, each of which provides phylogenetic resolution of the relationships among whales, ruminants, hippopotamuses and pigs. Our data provide evidence that whales, ruminants and hippopotamuses form a monophyletic group.

Suggested Citation

  • Mitsuru Shimamura & Hiroshi Yasue & Kazuhiko Ohshima & Hideaki Abe & Hidehiro Kato & Toshiya Kishiro & Mutsuo Goto & Isao Munechika & Norihiro Okada, 1997. "Molecular evidence from retroposons that whales form a clade within even-toed ungulates," Nature, Nature, vol. 388(6643), pages 666-670, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:388:y:1997:i:6643:d:10.1038_41759
    DOI: 10.1038/41759
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    Cited by:

    1. Andrej Kuritzin & Tabea Kischka & Jürgen Schmitz & Gennady Churakov, 2016. "Incomplete Lineage Sorting and Hybridization Statistics for Large-Scale Retroposon Insertion Data," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(3), pages 1-20, March.

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