The phylogenetic relationship within the genus Carcharhinus

Abstract

The phylogenetic relationships of elasmobranchs, especially sharks, are unclear. All previously made research and hypotheses indicate that there are still unsolved relationships within and between the class Chondrichthyes. To find out the relationship and sister group of this genus, the ribosomal ITS1–2 regions sequence has been chosen to differentiate the genus Carcharhinus from the blue shark (genus Prionace) and from some other genus species as an outgroup. The results show that the blue shark is a member of the genus Carcharhinus, suggesting that maybe the blue shark belongs also to the genus Carcharhinus instead of Prionace, or that there is a misclassification, Prionace being not a separate genus. To cite this article: M. Dosay-Akbulut, C. R. Biologies 331 (2008).