Evolution of centromeric satellite DNA and its use in phylogenetic studiesof the Sparidae family (Pisces, Perciformes)

In this paper, we use the EcoRI centromeric satellite DNA family conserved in Sparidae as a taxonomic and a phylogenetic marker. The analyses of 56 mo nomeric units (187 bp in size) obtained by means of cloning and PCR from 10 sparid species indicate that this repetitive DNA evolves by concerted evol ution. Different phylogenetic inference methods, such as neighbor-joining a nd UPGMA, group the 56 repeats by taxonomic affinity and support the existe nce of at least two monophyletic groups within the Sparidae family. These r esults reinforce the recent taxonomic revision of the genera Sparus and Pag rus and contradict previous classifications of the Sparidae family. (C) 199 9 Academic Press.