Abstract
BackgroundThe number of species within the Malagasy genus Lepilemur and their phylogenetic relationships is disputed and controversial. In order to establish their evolutionary relationships, a comparative cytogenetic and molecular study was performed. We sequenced the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1140 bp) from 68 individuals representing all eight sportive lemur species and most major populations, and compared the results with those obtained from cytogenetic studies derived from 99 specimens.ResultsInterspecific genetic variation, diagnostic characters and significantly supported phylogenetic relationships were obtained from the mitochondrial sequence data and are in agreement with cytogenetic information. The results confirm the distinctiveness of Lepilemur ankaranensis, L. dorsalis, L. edwardsi, L. leucopus, L. microdon, L. mustelinus, L. ruficaudatus and L. septentrionalis on species level. Additionally, within L. ruficaudatus large genetic differences were observed among different geographic populations. L. dorsalis from Sahamalaza Peninsula and from the Ambanja/Nosy Be region are paraphyletic, with the latter forming a sister group to L. ankaranensis.ConclusionOur results support the classification of the eight major sportive lemur taxa as independent species. Moreover, our data indicate further cryptic speciation events within L. ruficaudatus and L. dorsalis. Based on molecular data we propose to recognize the sportive lemur populations from north of the Tsiribihina River, south of the Betsiboka River, and from the Sahamalaza Peninsula, as distinct species.
Highlights
The number of species within the Malagasy genus Lepilemur and their phylogenetic relationships is disputed and controversial
The results confirm the distinctiveness of Lepilemur ankaranensis, L. dorsalis, L. edwardsi, L. leucopus, L. microdon, L. mustelinus, L. ruficaudatus and L
Because pelage colouration and other external characteristics are inconspicuous in sportive lemurs, the early classifications [1,2] based on these features were disputed until a comprehensive cytogenetic approach allowed the recognition of six species [3,4,5,6]: L. dorsalis, L. edwardsi, L. leucopus, L. mustelinus L. ruficaudatus and L. septentrionalis
Summary
The number of species within the Malagasy genus Lepilemur and their phylogenetic relationships is disputed and controversial. Especially the sequencing of mitochondrial genes, have expanded enormously during the last decade and have helped to characterise biodiversity and biogeographic patterns of Malagasy lemurs [10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19]. Such studies have been fruitful among the family Cheirogaleidae, in which several new mouse lemur species were described and others elevated from synonymy [11,18,20], despite the fact that no chromosomal differences were detected within the subfamily Cheirogaleinae [21,22,23]
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