A multilocus perspective on the phylogenetic relationships and diversification of rodents of the tribe Abrotrichini (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae). (31st July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cañón, Carola; Mir, Daiana; Pardiñas, Ulyses F. J.; Lessa, Enrique P.; D'Elía, Guillermo
• Is Part Of: Zoologica scripta. Volume 43:Number 5(2014:Sep.)
• Page Start: 443
• Page End: 454
• Publication Date: 2014-07-31
• Subjects: Zoology -- Periodicals; 590.5
• DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12069
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0300-3256

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="zsc12069-abs-0001"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <p>Abrotrichini is a recently defined and diagnosed tribe of Sigmodontinae with a complex taxonomy. Abrotrichine genera, <italic>Abrothrix</italic> (including <italic>Chroeomys</italic>), <italic>Chelemys</italic>, <italic> Geoxus</italic>, <italic> Notiomys</italic> and <italic>Pearsonomys</italic>, are mostly distributed in the central and southern Andes and adjacent lowlands and show terrestrial and fossorial habits. Recent studies have evidenced some incongruence between current taxonomy and abrotrichine phylogeny, such as the polyphyly of <italic>Chelemys</italic> and paraphyly of <italic>Geoxus</italic> respect to <italic>Pearsonomys</italic>. We used DNA sequence data of six loci (one mitochondrial and five nuclear) to resolve the relationships within the tribe. Independent and combined analyses of these loci were carried out using parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference. Estimates of divergence time of the main lineages of abrotrichines were calculated with a molecular clock using as calibration, a fossil recently found. The concatenated data set increased the resolution and defined the relationships within the tribe. Our phylogenetic analyses corroborate that <italic>Abrothrix</italic> is sister of a clade containing the long‐clawed abrotrichines. We recovered two main clades within <italic>Abrothrix</italic> that match morphologic variation and geographic distribution of its species. In addition, we corroborated the lack of monophyly of <italic>Chelemys</italic> and the lack of monophyly of <italic>Geoxus</italic>. We discuss different taxonomic scenarios to abrotrichine classification reflects the phylogenetic relationships obtained in this study. Our molecular clock estimated the Abrotrichini crown age to be around the early Pliocene (4.4 Ma) and suggest that the tribe diversified over a short period of time.</p> </abstract>