PHYLOGENETIC RELATEDNESS OF 16 SPECIES OF THE BAIKAL LAKE COTTOIDEI BULLHEAD FISHES DEDUCED FROM PARTIAL NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCES OF MTDNA CYTOCHROME-B GENES
Sv. Kirilchik et al., PHYLOGENETIC RELATEDNESS OF 16 SPECIES OF THE BAIKAL LAKE COTTOIDEI BULLHEAD FISHES DEDUCED FROM PARTIAL NUCLEOTIDE-SEQUENCES OF MTDNA CYTOCHROME-B GENES, Molecular biology, 29(4), 1995, pp. 471-476
Partial nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b
genes of 16 species of the Baikal Lake Cottoidei bullhead fishes from
three families: Cottidae, Comephoridae, and Abyssocottidae, were dete
rmined. Basing on the data obtained, phylogenetic trees were construct
ed. We found that there exists a certain disparity between the phyloge
netic conclusions drawn from the trees and some modern concepts on sys
tematics and phylogeny of the group under study. For example, genetic
distances between several species from the Cottidae family exceed by f
ar those observed between the most remote species from different famil
ies. Moreover, the branch leading to L. euristomus from the Limnocottu
s genus significantly departs from the branches leading to other speci
es of the genus. The phylogenetic trees obtained support the idea that
the Baikal Cottoidea bullheads are a relatively young group (on the g
eological time scale): they spread out ca. 2.0-2.5 mln years ago.