COMPLETE MITOCHONDRIAL-DNA SEQUENCE OF THE FAT DORMOUSE, GLIS-GLIS - FURTHER EVIDENCE OF RODENT PARAPHYLY

The complete mitochondrial genome of the fat dormouse, Glis glis, has been sequenced (16,602 bp). A total of 23 complete mitochondrial mamma lian genomes have been taken into account for phylogenetic reconstruct ion. Phylogenetic analyses were performed with parsimony, distance (st ationary Markov model), and maximum-likelihood methods. In all cases, data strongly support the paraphyly of rodents, with dormouse and guin ea pig in a different clade from rat and mouse, reaching bootstrap val ues of 95%. Rodent monophyly and the existence of Glires (Rodentia and Lagomorpha) are weakly supported, with maximum bootstrap values of 11 % and 8.6%, respectively. This result agrees with the anal:ises of iso chore patterns in the nuclear genome and the B2 and B2-like retroposon s, which show a close relationship between dormice and guinea pigs rat her than between dormice and rats and mice.