The origin and age of haplochromine fishes in Lake Victoria, East Africa

According to a widely held view, the more than 300 species of haplochromine cichlid fishes in Lake Victoria (LV), East Africa, originated from a singl e founder species in less than 12 000 years. This view, however, does not f ollow from the published geological and molecular evidence. The former does indeed suggest that the LV basin dried out less than 15 000 years ago, but it does not provide any information about the species that re-colonized th e new lake or that remained in the rivers draining the area. The molecular evidence is inconclusive with respect to the origin of the LV haplochromine s because cichlids from critical regions around LV were not adequately samp led; and as far as the age of the LV haplochromines is concerned, it in fac t led to an estimate of 250 000-750 000 years old. In the present study, mi tochondrial DNA (control region) variation was determined by heteroduplex a nd sequencing analyses of more than 670 specimens collected at widely distr ibuted East African riverine and lacustrine localities. The analyses reveal ed the existence of seven haplogroups (I-VII) distinguishable by characteri stic substitutions. All endemic LV samples tested fell into one of these ha plogroups (V) which, however, was also found to be present at various other localities, both riverine and lacustrine, outside LV. Within this haplogro up, four subgroups (VA through VD) could be distinguished, two of which (VB and VC) were represented in LV and at other localities. The great majority of the LV haplochromine species could be classified as belonging to the VC subgroup, which was found only in LV and in the rivers draining into it. H ence, while the endemic haplochromine species of LV could not have originat ed from a single founding population, the lake does harbour a large species flock which probably arose in situ.