The biochemical phylogeny of guinea-pigs and gundis, and the paraphyly of the order Rodentia

D. Graur*, W. A. Hide, A. Zharkikh, W. H. Li

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalShort surveypeer-review

34 Scopus citations

Abstract

1. 1. Molecular data indicate that caviomorphs (guinea-pig-like rodents) and myomorphs( rat-like rodents) are not monophyletic. 2. 2. Rather, the evolutionary lineage leading to the guinea-pig may have branched off prior to the divergence among myomorphs, lagomorphs, primates, chiropterans, artiodactyls, and carnivores. 3. 3. Thus, the guinea-pig lineage probably represents an ancient eutherian lineage, and should be conferred an independent ordinal status. 4. 4. The gundis (Ctenodactylidae) also seem to have branched off before the divergence among myomorphs, primates, and artiodactyls, but after the divergence of the guinea-pig. 5. 5. Therefore, the order Rodentia as defined at the present time is in all probability a paraphyletic group devoid of taxonomic validity. 6. 6. Previous claims pertaining to large differences in the rate of molecular evolution between guinea-pigs and myomorphs may have been exaggerated in many cases as a result of the erroneous phylogenetic position attributed to the guinea-pig. 7. 7. The average rate of amino acid replacement in the guinea-pig is comparable to that in the rat and the mouse. 8. 8. Protein-coding genes of mymorphs and caviomorphs evole, on average, about two times faster than their counterparts in gundis and humans.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)495-498
Number of pages4
JournalComparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part - B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Volume101
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1992

Funding

FundersFunder number
National Institutes of Health
Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'The biochemical phylogeny of guinea-pigs and gundis, and the paraphyly of the order Rodentia'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this