Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-8zxtt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-14T14:07:01.915Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Phylogenetic relationships of Chinese antelopes (sub family Antilopinae) based on mitochondrial Ribosomal RNA gene sequences

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 October 2003

Runhua Lei
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China 100080
Zhigang Jian
Affiliation:
Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China 100080
Zhiang Hu
Affiliation:
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China 100093
Wanlong Yang
Affiliation:
Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China 100093
Get access

Abstract

The partial mitochondrial 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA gene sequences (440 bp and 590 bp or so, respectively were determined of the Przewalski's gazelle Procapra przewalskii, Mongolian gazelle P. gutturosa, Tibetan gazelle P. picticaudata, goitered gazelle Gazella gutturosa, saiga Saiga tatarica, Tibetan antelope Pantholops hodgsoni, and thar Hemitragus jemlahicus. The average sequence divergence for all the species studied when both rRNA genes were combined was 8.4% (±0.7%), and the divergence values ranged from 0.5% to 13.3%. The average sequence divergence values for 16S rRNA gene and for 12S rRNA gene were 9.9% (±1.1%) and 6.3% (±1.1%), respectively. The sequence divergences among species of Procapra for 16S rRNA gene and for 12S rRNA gene were 1.4%(±0.5%) and 1.1% (±0.6%), respectively. Our phylogenetic analysis revealed the monophyly of the genus Procapra and that Przewalski's gazelle is more closely related to the Mongolian gazelle than to the Tibetan gazelle. We also found that the genus Procapra is closely related to Antilopini. We argued that the critically endangered Przewalski's gazelle should be treated as a species, not a subspecies of the Tibetan gazelle, which clearly warrants more attention from conservationists.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
2003 The Zoological Society of London

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)