Novel phylogeny of the raccoon family (Procyonidae: Carnivora) based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA evidence

Abstract

The raccoon family, Procyonidae, is the least studied of the caniform (dog-like) carnivore families. Often represented by two or three species in carnivore phylogenetic studies, to date, no molecular study has focused on the procyonids themselves. The family Procyonidae is sister to Mustelidae (weasels, badgers, otters, and relatives) within the superfamily Musteloidea, which also includes the families Ailuridae (monotypic red panda, Ailurus fulgens) and Mephitidae (skunks). The Wrst complete phylogeny of the recent procyonids (Decker and Wozencraft, 1991) based on 129 morphological characters delineated two subfamilies, Potosinae and Procyoninae, which were upheld (as the tribal designations Potosini and Procyonini) in the morphology-based phylogeny of Baskin (2004), including both extant and fossil procyonids. The red panda has sometimes been included in the Procyonidae as a third subfamily (Simpson, 1945; Baskin, 1998, 2003), but while the phylogenetic aYnity of the red panda within the musteloids is unknown (Flynn et al., 2000, 2005; Delisle and Strobeck, 2005; Flynn and Wesley-Hunt, 2005; Fulton and Strobeck, 2006; Sato et al., 2006), it is no longer generally accepted as a member of the Procyonidae. The subfamily Potosinae contains two genera, Potos (kinkajou) and Bassaricyon (olingos), while Procyoninae contains three: Bassariscus (ringtails), Nasua (coatis), and Procyon (raccoons). A putative sixth genus contains the monotypic mountain coati, Nasuella olivaceae. Found only in the Andes, N. olivaceae is smaller than, but otherwise similar to, the ring-tailed coati, Nasua nasua, and is often considered a species of Nasua, rather than a distinct genus (Nowak, 1991).