PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS AMONG JAPANESE SPECIES OF THE FAMILY SCIURIDAE (MAMMALIA, RODENTIA), INFERRED FROM NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCES OF MITOCHONDRIAL 12S RIBOSOMAL-RNA GENES

In order to investigate phylogenetic relationships of the family Sciur idae living in Japan, we sequenced partial regions (379 bases) of mito chondrial 12S rRNA genes in six species of Japanese and other Asian sq uirrels. Phylogenetic trees constructed by sequence data indicated tha t two genera of flying squirrels (Petaurista and Pteromys) were cluste red in a group distinct from non-flying squirrels, suggesting a possib le monophyletic relationships of these flying squirrels. The evolution ary distance between the Japanese squirrel (Sciurus lis) from Honshu i sland and the Eurasian red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) from Hokkaido i sland was comparable to intraspecific distances of the remaining speci es examined.