Abstract
Guenons (tribe Cercopithecini) are one of the most diverse groups of primates. They occupy all of sub-Saharan Africa and show great variation in ecology, behavior, and morphology. This variation led to the description of over 60 species and subspecies. Here, using next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) in combination with targeted DNA capture, we sequenced 92 mitochondrial genomes from museum-preserved specimens as old as 117 years. We infer evolutionary relationships and estimate divergence times of almost all guenon taxa based on mitochondrial genome sequences. Using this phylogenetic framework, we infer divergence dates and reconstruct ancestral geographic ranges. We conclude that the extraordinary radiation of guenons has been a complex process driven by, among other factors, localized fluctuations of African forest cover. We find incongruences between phylogenetic trees reconstructed from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences, which can be explained by either incomplete lineage sorting or hybridization. Furthermore, having produced the largest mitochondrial DNA data set from museum specimens, we document how NGS technologies can “unlock” museum collections, thereby helping to unravel the tree-of-life. [Museum collection; next-generation DNA sequencing; primate radiation; speciation; target capture.]
Highlights
IntroductionWe focus on guenons (tribe Cercopithecini), the most species-rich group of extant African primates, whose taxonomic diversity is only surpassed by Malagasy lemurs and New World monkeys
We focus on guenons, the most species-rich group of extant African primates, whose taxonomic diversity is only surpassed by Malagasy lemurs and New World monkeys
Using next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS) technology coupled with target DNA enrichment, we sequenced mitochondrial genomes of 92 museum specimens, obtaining a wealth of genomic information unparalleled by previous studies
Summary
We focus on guenons (tribe Cercopithecini), the most species-rich group of extant African primates, whose taxonomic diversity is only surpassed by Malagasy lemurs and New World monkeys. Previous studies included only a limited number of species and phylogenetic inferences were based on relatively short DNA sequences or used Alu elements, which precluded the estimation of well-supported and resolved trees (Tosi et al 2004, 2005; Xing et al 2007; Tosi 2008; Chatterjee et al 2009). These limitations are understandable, given that many taxa are threatened (http://www.iucnredlist.org/, last accessed April 2, 2013), making collection in the wild impractical. Comparisons between nuclear and mitochondrial-based phylogenetic trees allow us to highlight important topological discrepancies, which merit future investigations by suggesting that hybridization and introgression could have played a role in shaping guenons’ diversity
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