Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Mitogenomic analyses place the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) on the crocodile tree and provide Pre-K/T divergence times for most crocodilians

Janke, Axel LU ; Gullberg, Anette LU ; Hughes, S ; Aggarwal, RK and Arnason, Ulfur LU (2005) In Journal of Molecular Evolution 61(5). p.620-626
Abstract
Based on morphological analyses, extant members of the order Crocodylia are divided into three families, Alligatoridae, Crocodylidae, and Gavialidae. Gavialidae includes one species, the gharial, Gavialis gangeticus. In this study we have examined crocodilian relationships in phylogenetic analyses of seven mitochondrial genomes that have been sequenced in their entirety. The analyses did not support the morphologically acknowledged separate position of the gharial in the crocodilian tree. Instead the gharial joined the false gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) on a common branch that was shown to constitute a sister group to traditional Crocodylidae (less Tomistoma). Thus, the analyses suggest the recognition of only two Crocodylia families,... (More)
Based on morphological analyses, extant members of the order Crocodylia are divided into three families, Alligatoridae, Crocodylidae, and Gavialidae. Gavialidae includes one species, the gharial, Gavialis gangeticus. In this study we have examined crocodilian relationships in phylogenetic analyses of seven mitochondrial genomes that have been sequenced in their entirety. The analyses did not support the morphologically acknowledged separate position of the gharial in the crocodilian tree. Instead the gharial joined the false gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) on a common branch that was shown to constitute a sister group to traditional Crocodylidae (less Tomistoma). Thus, the analyses suggest the recognition of only two Crocodylia families, Alligatoridae and Crocodylidae, with the latter encompassing traditional Crocodylidae plus Gavialis/Tomistoma. A molecular dating of the divergence between Alligatoridae and Crocodylidae suggests that this basal split among recent crocodilians took place 140 million years before present, at the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary. The results suggest that at least five crocodillan lineages survived the mass extinction at the KT boundary. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
molecular dating, Crocodylia, phylogeny, mitochondrial DNA, reptiles
in
Journal of Molecular Evolution
volume
61
issue
5
pages
620 - 626
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • pmid:16211427
  • wos:000232980100006
  • scopus:27744569959
ISSN
0022-2844
DOI
10.1007/s00239-004-0336-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b69c11be-2ca3-4028-91b0-86d364a7fccf (old id 214198)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:53:54
date last changed
2022-04-28 21:34:04
@article{b69c11be-2ca3-4028-91b0-86d364a7fccf,
  abstract     = {{Based on morphological analyses, extant members of the order Crocodylia are divided into three families, Alligatoridae, Crocodylidae, and Gavialidae. Gavialidae includes one species, the gharial, Gavialis gangeticus. In this study we have examined crocodilian relationships in phylogenetic analyses of seven mitochondrial genomes that have been sequenced in their entirety. The analyses did not support the morphologically acknowledged separate position of the gharial in the crocodilian tree. Instead the gharial joined the false gharial (Tomistoma schlegelii) on a common branch that was shown to constitute a sister group to traditional Crocodylidae (less Tomistoma). Thus, the analyses suggest the recognition of only two Crocodylia families, Alligatoridae and Crocodylidae, with the latter encompassing traditional Crocodylidae plus Gavialis/Tomistoma. A molecular dating of the divergence between Alligatoridae and Crocodylidae suggests that this basal split among recent crocodilians took place 140 million years before present, at the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary. The results suggest that at least five crocodillan lineages survived the mass extinction at the KT boundary.}},
  author       = {{Janke, Axel and Gullberg, Anette and Hughes, S and Aggarwal, RK and Arnason, Ulfur}},
  issn         = {{0022-2844}},
  keywords     = {{molecular dating; Crocodylia; phylogeny; mitochondrial DNA; reptiles}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{5}},
  pages        = {{620--626}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Journal of Molecular Evolution}},
  title        = {{Mitogenomic analyses place the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) on the crocodile tree and provide Pre-K/T divergence times for most crocodilians}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00239-004-0336-9}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00239-004-0336-9}},
  volume       = {{61}},
  year         = {{2005}},
}