Nuclear integrations of mitochondrial DNA in gorillas

Michael I. Jensen-Seaman, Esteban E. Sarmiento, Amos S. Deinard, Kenneth K. Kidd

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

36 Scopus citations

Abstract

Great ape systematics, particularly at the species level and below, is currently under debate, due in part to the recent influx of molecular data. The phylogenies of previously published mitochondrial control region (or D-loop) DNA sequences in gorillas show deep splits within West African gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla), and very high levels of nucleotide diversity in this subspecies. Here we demonstrate that several previously reported D-loop haplotypes from West African gorillas are in all likelihood nuclear integrations of mitochondrial DNA. Revised estimates of the amount and pattern of mitochondrial DNA diversity in gorillas are provided, revealing two reciprocally monophyletic and highly divergent groups of gorillas, concurrent with their geographic distribution.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)139-147
Number of pages9
JournalAmerican journal of primatology
Volume63
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2004

Keywords

  • Beringei
  • Gorilla
  • Graueri
  • Hominid
  • Hominoid
  • Numt
  • Pseudogene

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