PHYLOGENETIC UTILITY OF THE MITOCHONDRIAL CYTOCHROME-OXIDASE GENE - MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF THE DROSOPHILA-BUZZATII SPECIES COMPLEX

Phylogenetic relationships among eight species of the Drosophila buzza tii species complex (D. mulleri subgroup; D. repleta species group) an d D. hamatofila were determined by sequencing the mitochondrial cytoch rome oxidase subunit I, II, and III genes. The species examined includ ed members of the martensis cluster (D. martensis, D. starmeri, D. ven ezolana), the buzzatii cluster (D. buzzatii, D. serido, D. borborema), and the stalkeri cluster (D. stalkeri, D. richardsoni). The molecular phylogeny was found to be congruent with the chromosomal inversion ph ylogeny. Analyzing the cytochrome oxidase subunits separately revealed that not all the subunits seem to have the same phylogenetic informat ion content. Parameters are discussed that might explain these differe nces.