an estimation of erinaceidae phylogeny a combined analysis approach猬科系统学的估计相结合的分析方法.pdfVIP

An Estimation of Erinaceidae Phylogeny: A Combined Analysis Approach 1,2. 1,2. 3,4. 5 6 1 Kai He , Jian-Hai Chen , Gina C. Gould , Nobuyuki Yamaguchi , Huai-Sen Ai , Ying-Xiang Wang , 1 1 Ya-Ping Zhang , Xue-Long Jiang * 1 State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China, 2 Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, 3 University of Connecticut, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Stamford, Connecticut, United States of America, 4 Bruce Museum, Greenwich, Connecticut, United States of America, 5 Department of Biological Environmental Sciences, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar, 6 Baoshan Administrative Bureau, Gaoligong National Nature Reserve, Baoshan, China Abstract Background: Erinaceidae is a family of small mammals that include the spiny hedgehogs (Erinaceinae) and the silky-furred moonrats and gymnures (Galericinae). These animals are widely distributed across Eurasia and Africa, from the tundra to the tropics and the deserts to damp forests. The importance of these animals lies in the fact that they are the oldest known living placental mammals, which are well represented in the fossil record, a rarity fact given their size and vulnerability to destruction during fossilization. Although the Family has been well studied, their phylogenetic relationships remain controversial. To test previous phylogenetic hypotheses, we combined molecular and morphological data sets, including representatives of all the genera. Methodology and Principal Findings: We included in the analyses 3,218 bp mitochondrial gen