Inferring kangaroo phylogeny from incongruent nuclear and mitochondrial genes

M.J. Phillips; D Haouchar; R.C. Pratt; G.C. Gibb; M. Bunce

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0057745

Back

Inferring kangaroo phylogeny from incongruent nuclear and mitochondrial genes

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Inferring kangaroo phylogeny from incongruent nuclear and mitochondrial genes

M.J. Phillips, D Haouchar, R.C. Pratt, G.C. Gibb and M. Bunce

PLoS ONE, Vol.8(2), e57745

2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0057745

Files and links (2)

pdf

kangaroo_phylogeny.pdfDownload View

Published (Version of Record) Open Access

url

Free to Read *No subscription requiredView

Abstract

The marsupial genus Macropus includes three subgenera, the familiar large grazing kangaroos and wallaroos of M. (Macropus) and M. (Osphranter), as well as the smaller mixed grazing/browsing wallabies of M. (Notamacropus). A recent study of five concatenated nuclear genes recommended subsuming the predominantly browsing Wallabia bicolor (swamp wallaby) into Macropus. To further examine this proposal we sequenced partial mitochondrial genomes for kangaroos and wallabies. These sequences strongly favour the morphological placement of W. bicolor as sister to Macropus, although place M. irma (black-gloved wallaby) within M. (Osphranter) rather than as expected, with M. (Notamacropus). Species tree estimation from separately analysed mitochondrial and nuclear genes favours retaining Macropus and Wallabia as separate genera. A simulation study finds that incomplete lineage sorting among nuclear genes is a plausible explanation for incongruence with the mitochondrial placement of W. bicolor, while mitochondrial introgression from a wallaroo into M. irma is the deepest such event identified in marsupials. Similar such coalescent simulations for interpreting gene tree conflicts will increase in both relevance and statistical power as species-level phylogenetics enters the genomic age. Ecological considerations in turn, hint at a role for selection in accelerating the fixation of introgressed or incompletely sorted loci. More generally the inclusion of the mitochondrial sequences substantially enhanced phylogenetic resolution. However, we caution that the evolutionary dynamics that enhance mitochondria as speciation indicators in the presence of incomplete lineage sorting may also render them especially susceptible to introgression.

Details

Title: Inferring kangaroo phylogeny from incongruent nuclear and mitochondrial genes
Authors/Creators: M.J. Phillips (Author/Creator) - Queensland University of Technology
D Haouchar (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
R.C. Pratt (Author/Creator) - Australian National University
G.C. Gibb (Author/Creator) - Massey University
M. Bunce (Author/Creator) - Murdoch University
Publication Details: PLoS ONE, Vol.8(2), e57745
Publisher: Public Library of Science
Identifiers: 991005541540607891
Murdoch Affiliation: School of Veterinary and Life Sciences
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

Source: InCites

Metrics

281 File views/ downloads

126 Record Views

57 Times Cited - Web of Science

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.64 Phylogenetics & Genomics; 3.64.34 Phylogenetic Relationships
Web Of Science research areas: Evolutionary Biology
ESI research areas: Molecular Biology & Genetics