Evolution of the cycloidea gene family in Antirrhinum and Misopates

Studies at the nucleotide level on the nuclear flower development gene cycl oidea (cyc) in seven Antirrhinum, two Misopates, one Linaria, one Cymbalari a, and one Digitalis species revealed that eye is a member of a gene family composed of at least five apparently functional genes. The estimated ages of the duplication events that created this gene family are from 7.5 Myr to more than 75 Myr. We also report the first estimates of DNA sequence diver sity for species of Antirrhinum and Misopates. Low between-species variabil ity suggests that this group of species may have diverged recently.