Phylogenetic relationships based on DNA sequence variation for the aldolase
A intron V nuclear genomic region were evaluated and compared to phylogeni
es based on mitochondrial DNA sequence variation among spider monkeys (Atel
es), Samples of Ateles ranging from Central America throughout the Amazon B
asin were sequenced to determine phylogenetic relationships among geographi
cally widely distributed populations. Analysis of nuclear DNA sequences usi
ng parsimony, maximum-likelihood, and genetic distance analyses produced si
milar phylogenies, Four previously proposed monophyletic species of spider
monkeys were: (1) Ateles paniscus, composed of haplotypes from the northeas
tern Amazon Basin; (2) A, belzebuth, found in the western and southern Amaz
on Basin; (3) A. hybridus, located primarily along the Magdalena River vall
ey of Colombia; and (4) A. geoffroyi, including all haplotypes found in the
Choco region of South America and throughout Central America. The nuclear
phylograms were analyzed based on associated bootstrap support and confiden
ce probabilities, Support from the nuclear DNA genome was less robust than
support from the mitochondrial DNA data, most likely due to a level of sequ
ence variation, which was 90% less than that of the mitochondrial DNA genom
e. Nuclear DNA congruencies With mitochondrial DNA-based phylogenies, as su
pported by the incongruence length difference and winning sites tests, prov
ide further support for the suggested revisions in Ateles taxonomy that are
contradictory to long-held taxonomies based on pelage variation. (C) 2001
Academic Press.