Project 299: R. J. Asher, S. Maree, G. Bronner, N. C. Bennett, P. Bloomer, P. Czechowski, M. Meyer, M. Hofreiter. 2010. A phylogenetic estimate for golden moles (Mammalia, Afrotheria, Chrysochloridae). BMC Evolutionary Biology. 10 (69):1-13.
Specimen: Chrysospalax villosus (TM:16589)
View: scapula

Abstract

Background: Golden moles (Chrysochloridae) are small, subterranean, afrotherian mammals from South Africa and neighboring regions. Of the 21 species now recognized, some (e.g., Chrysochloris asiatica, Amblysomus hottentotus) are relatively common, whereas others (e.g., species of Chrysospalax, Cryptochloris, Neamblysomus) are rare and endangered. Here, we use a combined analysis of partial sequences of the nuclear GHR gene and morphological characters to derive a phylogeny of species in the family Chrysochloridae.

Results: Although not all nodes of the combined analysis have high support values, the overall pattern of relationships obtained from different methods of phylogeny reconstruction allow us to make several recommendations regarding the current taxonomy of golden moles. We elevate Huetia to generic status to include the species leucorhinus and confirm the use of the Linnean binomial Carpitalpa arendsi, which belongs within Amblysominae along with Amblysomus and Neamblysomus. A second group, Chrysochlorinae, includes Chrysochloris, Cryptochloris, Huetia, Eremitalpa, Chrysospalax, and Calcochloris. Bayesian methods make chrysochlorines paraphyletic by placing the root within them, coinciding with root positions favored by a majority of randomly-generated outgroup taxa. Maximum Parsimony (MP) places the root either between chrysochlorines and amblysomines (with Chlorotalpa as sister taxon to amblysomines), or at Chlorotalpa, with the former two groups reconstructed as monophyletic in all optimal MP trees.

Conclusions: The inclusion of additional genetic loci for this clade is important to confirm our taxonomic results and resolve the chrysochlorid root. Nevertheless, our optimal topologies support a division of chrysochlorids into amblysomines and chrysochlorines, with Chlorotalpa intermediate between the two. Furthermore, evolution of the chrysochlorid malleus exhibits homoplasy. The elongate malleus has evolved just once in the Cryptochloris-Chrysochloris group; other changes in shape have occurred at multiple nodes, regardless of how the root is resolved.



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Project DOI: 10.7934/P299, http://dx.doi.org/10.7934/P299
This project containsMatrices
  • 80 Media
  • 1 Matrix
  • 1 Document
  • 43 Taxa
  • 58 Specimens
  • 144 Characters
Total size of project's media files: 75.52M

Download Project SDD File
Total scored cells: 4079
Total media associated with cells: 0
Total labels associated with cell media: 0
Characters
Total characters: 144
Total characters with associated media: 0
Total characters with media with labels: 0
Total character states: 337
Total character states with associated media: 263
Total character states with media with labels:259
Total unordered/ordered characters:144/0
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MorphoBank Project 299

    Authors' Institutions

    • Max Planck Institutes

    • University of Cambridge

    • University of Cape Town

    • University of Pretoria



    Members

    member name taxa specimens media chars character
    media
    labels
    cell scorings
    (scored, NPA, "-")
    cell
    medialabels
    rules
    Robert Asher
    Project Administrator
    4358801442732664079
    (3901, 0, 178)
    000
    MorphoBank Curator
    Full membership
    0000000
    (0, 0, 0)
    000
    Helen Whitaker
    Observer
    0000000
    (0, 0, 0)
    000


    Taxonomic Overview for Matrix 'M737' (30 Taxa)

    taxon unscored
    cells
    scored
    cells
    no cell
    support
    NPA
    cells
    "-" cellscell images labels on
    cell images
    member
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    [1] Elephantulus rufescens
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    113813607003
    [2] Echinops telfairi
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    1134133010003
    [3] Geogale aurita
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    113813706003
    [4] Hemicentetes
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    014013707003
    [5] Limnogale
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    613413305003
    [6] Microgale
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    014113905003
    [7] Micropotamogale
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    413413307003
    [8] Oryzorictes tetradactylus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    014213905003
    [9] Potamogale velox
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    013913509003
    [10] Procavia capensis
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    0135134010003
    [11] Setifer setosus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    014313905003
    [12] Tenrec ecaudatus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    014513905003
    [13] Amblysomus corriae
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    42979507003
    [14] Amblysomus hottentotus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    613013008003
    [15] Amblysomus marleyi
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    48898907003
    [16] Amblysomus robustus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    43959407003
    [17] Amblysomus septentrionalis
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    1212412408003
    [18] Calcochloris obtusirostris
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    812912907003
    [19] Huetia leucorhinus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    413613604003
    [20] Carpitalpa arendsi
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    813213204003
    [21] Chlorotalpa duthieae
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    713313304003
    [22] Chlorotalpa sclateri
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    613513404003
    [23] Chrysochloris asiatica
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    613513404003
    [24] Chrysochloris stuhlmanni
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    1512412405003
    [25] Chrysospalax trevelyani
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    513813504003
    [26] Chrysospalax villosus
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    1213112903003
    [27] Cryptochloris wintoni
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    2411711604003
    [28] Eremitalpa granti
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    1312812704003
    [29] Neamblysomus gunningi
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    613413305003
    [30] Neamblysomus julianae
    Last Modified in 12/05/13
    713112908003


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