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Ancient single origin for Malagasy primates.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Yoder, AD; Cartmill, M; Ruvolo, M; Smith, K; Vilgalys, R
Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
May 1996

We report new evidence that bears decisively on a long-standing controversy in primate systematics. DNA sequence data for the complete cytochrome b gene, combined with an expanded morphological data set, confirm the results of a previous study and again indicate that all extant Malagasy lemurs originated from a single common ancestor. These results, as well as those from other genetic studies, call for a revision of primate classifications in which the dwarf and mouse lemurs are placed within the Afro-Asian lorisiforms. The phylogenetic results, in agreement with paleocontinental data, indicate an African origin for the common ancestor of lemurs and lorises (the Strepsirrhini). The molecular data further suggest the surprising conclusion that lemurs began evolving independently by the early Eocene at the latest. This indicates that the Malagasy primate lineage is more ancient than generally thought and places the split between the two strepsirrhine lineages well before the appearance of known Eocene fossil primates. We conclude that primate origins were marked by rapid speciation and diversification sometime before the late Paleocene.

Duke Scholars

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Published In

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

May 1996

Volume

93

Issue

10

Start / End Page

5122 / 5126

Related Subject Headings

  • Time Factors
  • Primates
  • Phylogeny
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Models, Genetic
  • Madagascar
  • Likelihood Functions
  • Humans
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • DNA
 

Citation

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Yoder, A. D., Cartmill, M., Ruvolo, M., Smith, K., & Vilgalys, R. (1996). Ancient single origin for Malagasy primates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 93(10), 5122–5126. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.93.10.5122
Yoder, A. D., M. Cartmill, M. Ruvolo, K. Smith, and R. Vilgalys. “Ancient single origin for Malagasy primates.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 93, no. 10 (May 1996): 5122–26. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.93.10.5122.
Yoder AD, Cartmill M, Ruvolo M, Smith K, Vilgalys R. Ancient single origin for Malagasy primates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 1996 May;93(10):5122–6.
Yoder, A. D., et al. “Ancient single origin for Malagasy primates.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 93, no. 10, May 1996, pp. 5122–26. Epmc, doi:10.1073/pnas.93.10.5122.
Yoder AD, Cartmill M, Ruvolo M, Smith K, Vilgalys R. Ancient single origin for Malagasy primates. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 1996 May;93(10):5122–5126.
Journal cover image

Published In

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

DOI

EISSN

1091-6490

ISSN

0027-8424

Publication Date

May 1996

Volume

93

Issue

10

Start / End Page

5122 / 5126

Related Subject Headings

  • Time Factors
  • Primates
  • Phylogeny
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Models, Genetic
  • Madagascar
  • Likelihood Functions
  • Humans
  • Evolution, Molecular
  • DNA