Phylogeny of the macaques (Cercopithecidae: Macaca) based on Alu elements.

ABSTRACT: Genus Macaca (Cercopithecidae: Papionini) is one of the most successful primate radiations. Despite previous studies on morphology and mitochondrial DNA analysis, a number of issues regarding the details of macaque evolution remain unsolved. Alu elements are a class of non-autonomous retroposons belonging to short interspersed elements that are specific to the primate lineage. Because retroposon insertions show very little homoplasy, and because the ancestral state (absence of the SINE) is known, Alu elements are useful genetic markers and have been utilized for analyzing primate phylogenentic relationships and human population genetic relationships. Using PCR display methodology, 298 new Alu insertions have been identified from ten species of macaques. Together with 60 loci reported previ

SUBMITTER: Li J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2783879 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature