Molecular phylogeny of Ateline new world monkeys (Platyrrhini, Atelinae) based on gamma-globin gene sequences: Evidence that Brachyteles is the sister group of Lagothrix

Nucleotide sequences, each spanning similar to 7 kb of the contiguous gamma (1) and gamma(2) globin genomic loci, were determined for seven species rep resenting all extant genera (Ateles, Lagothrix, Brachyteles, and Alouatta) of the New World monkey subfamily Atelinae. After aligning these seven atel ine sequences with outgroup sequences from several other primate (non-ateli ne) genera, they were analyzed by maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, an d neighbor-joining algorithms. All three analyzes estimated the same phylog enetic relationships: {Alouatta [Ateles (Brachyteles, Lagothrix)]}. Brachyt eles and Lagothrix are sister-groups supported by 100% of bootstrap replica tions in the parsimony analyses. Ateles joins this clade, followed by the b asal genus Alouatta; these joinings were strongly supported, again with 100 % bootstrap values. This cladistic pattern for the four ateline genera is c ongruent with that obtained in previous studies utilizing epsilon-globin, I RBP, and G6PD nuclear genomic sequences as well as mitochondrial COII seque nces. Because the number of aligned nucleotide positions is much larger in the present dataset than in any of these other datasets, much stronger supp ort was obtained for the cladistic classification that divides subfamily At elinae into tribes Alouattini (Alouatta) and Atelini, while the latter divi des into subtribes Atelina (Ateles) and Brachytelina (Brachyteles and Lagot hrix). (C) 1999 Academic Press.