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Citation for Study 11174

About Citation title: "Inferring Species-Level Phylogenies and Taxonomic Distinctiveness Using Multi-Locus Data In Sistrurus Rattlesnakes ".
About Study name: "Inferring Species-Level Phylogenies and Taxonomic Distinctiveness Using Multi-Locus Data In Sistrurus Rattlesnakes ".
About This study is part of submission 11164 (Status: Published).

Citation

Kubatko L., Gibbs H.L., & Bloomquist E.W. 2011. Inferring Species-Level Phylogenies and Taxonomic Distinctiveness Using Multi-Locus Data In Sistrurus Rattlesnakes. Systematic Biology, .

Authors

  • Kubatko L. (submitter) Phone 1-614-247-8846
  • Gibbs H.L.
  • Bloomquist E.W.

Abstract

Phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic distinctiveness of closely-related species and subspecies are most accurately inferred from data derived from multiple independent loci. Here, we apply several approaches for understanding species-level relationships using data from 18 nuclear DNA loci and one mtDNA locus within currently described species and subspecies of Sistrurus rattlesnakes. Collectively, these methods provide evidence that a currently described species, the massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus), consists of two well-supported clades, one composed of the two western subspecies (S. c. tergeminus and S. c. edwardsii) and the other the eastern subspecies (S. c. catenatus). Within pigmy rattlesnakes (S. miliarius), however, there is not strong support across methods for any particular grouping at the sub-specific level. Monophyly-based tests for taxonomic distinctiveness show evidence for distinctiveness of all subspecies but this support is strongest by far for the S. c. catenatus clade. Because support for the distinctiveness of S. c. catenatus is both strong and consistent across methods, and due to its morphological distinctiveness and allopatric distribution, we suggest that this subspecies be elevated to full species status, which has significant conservation implications. Finally, most divergence time estimates based upon a fossil-calibrated species tree are > 50% younger than those from a concatenated gene tree analysis and suggest that an active period of speciation within Sistrurus occurred within the late Pliocene/Pleistocene eras.

Keywords

Sistrurus rattlesnakes, gene and species trees, genealogical species concept, multi-locus phylogenetics, monophyly-based tests for species delimitation, species tree-based divergence times

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  • Canonical resource URI: http://purl.org/phylo/treebase/phylows/study/TB2:S11174
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