GENE TREES AND HOMINOID PHYLOGENY

Here we present a DNA sequence study that incorporates intraspecific v ariation from all five genera of hominoids (apes and humans). Recently it has been claimed that using single individuals to analyze species' relationships might be misleading if within-species variation is grea t. Our results indicate that despite high intraspecific variation in m itochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit II gene sequences of some homi noids, humans and chimpanzees are nonetheless significantly most close ly related. We also report the observation that variation within the g orilla species exceeds that between common and pygmy chimpanzee specie s, a finding with implications for conservation. In contrast, humans a re less mitochondrially diverse than lowland gorillas inhabiting weste rn Africa.