Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of the polytypic North American rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta): a critique of the subspecies concept. 2000

F T Burbrink, and R Lawson, and J B Slowinski
Museum of Natural Science and Department of Biology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge 70803, USA. fburbri@unix1.sncc.lsu.edu

Subspecies have been considered artificial subdivisions of species, pattern classes, or incipient species. However, with more data and modern phylogenetic techniques, some subspecies may be found to represent true species. Mitochondrial DNA analysis of the polytypic snake, Elaphe obsoleta, yields well-supported clades that do not conform to any of the currently accepted subspecies. Complete nucleotide sequences of the cytochrome b gene and the mitochondrial control region produced robust maximum-parsimony and maximum-likelihood trees that do not differ statistically. Both trees were significantly shorter than a most parsimonious tree in which each subspecies was constrained to be monophyletic. Thus, the subspecies of E. obsoleta do not represent distinct genetic lineages. Instead, the evidence points to three well-supported mitochondrial DNA clades confined to particular geographic areas in the eastern United States. This research underscores the potential problems of recognizing subspecies based on one or a few characters.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010802 Phylogeny The relationships of groups of organisms as reflected by their genetic makeup. Community Phylogenetics,Molecular Phylogenetics,Phylogenetic Analyses,Phylogenetic Analysis,Phylogenetic Clustering,Phylogenetic Comparative Analysis,Phylogenetic Comparative Methods,Phylogenetic Distance,Phylogenetic Generalized Least Squares,Phylogenetic Groups,Phylogenetic Incongruence,Phylogenetic Inference,Phylogenetic Networks,Phylogenetic Reconstruction,Phylogenetic Relatedness,Phylogenetic Relationships,Phylogenetic Signal,Phylogenetic Structure,Phylogenetic Tree,Phylogenetic Trees,Phylogenomics,Analyse, Phylogenetic,Analysis, Phylogenetic,Analysis, Phylogenetic Comparative,Clustering, Phylogenetic,Community Phylogenetic,Comparative Analysis, Phylogenetic,Comparative Method, Phylogenetic,Distance, Phylogenetic,Group, Phylogenetic,Incongruence, Phylogenetic,Inference, Phylogenetic,Method, Phylogenetic Comparative,Molecular Phylogenetic,Network, Phylogenetic,Phylogenetic Analyse,Phylogenetic Clusterings,Phylogenetic Comparative Analyses,Phylogenetic Comparative Method,Phylogenetic Distances,Phylogenetic Group,Phylogenetic Incongruences,Phylogenetic Inferences,Phylogenetic Network,Phylogenetic Reconstructions,Phylogenetic Relatednesses,Phylogenetic Relationship,Phylogenetic Signals,Phylogenetic Structures,Phylogenetic, Community,Phylogenetic, Molecular,Phylogenies,Phylogenomic,Reconstruction, Phylogenetic,Relatedness, Phylogenetic,Relationship, Phylogenetic,Signal, Phylogenetic,Structure, Phylogenetic,Tree, Phylogenetic
D003573 Cytochrome b Group Cytochromes (electron-transporting proteins) with protoheme (HEME B) as the prosthetic group. Cytochromes Type b,Cytochromes, Heme b,Group, Cytochrome b,Heme b Cytochromes,Type b, Cytochromes,b Cytochromes, Heme,b Group, Cytochrome
D004272 DNA, Mitochondrial Double-stranded DNA of MITOCHONDRIA. In eukaryotes, the mitochondrial GENOME is circular and codes for ribosomal RNAs, transfer RNAs, and about 10 proteins. Mitochondrial DNA,mtDNA
D005843 Geography The science dealing with the earth and its life, especially the description of land, sea, and air and the distribution of plant and animal life, including humanity and human industries with reference to the mutual relations of these elements. (From Webster, 3d ed) Factor, Geographic,Factors, Geographic,Geographic Factor,Geographic Factors,Geography, Human,Human Geography
D006239 Haplotypes The genetic constitution of individuals with respect to one member of a pair of allelic genes, or sets of genes that are closely linked and tend to be inherited together such as those of the MAJOR HISTOCOMPATIBILITY COMPLEX. Haplotype
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D013045 Species Specificity The restriction of a characteristic behavior, anatomical structure or physical system, such as immune response; metabolic response, or gene or gene variant to the members of one species. It refers to that property which differentiates one species from another but it is also used for phylogenetic levels higher or lower than the species. Species Specificities,Specificities, Species,Specificity, Species
D014481 United States A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D017812 Colubridae The largest family of snakes comprising five subfamilies: Colubrinae, Natricinae, Homalopsinae, Lycodontinae, and Xenodontinae. They show a great diversity of eating habits, from eating almost anything to having a specialized diet. They can be oviparous, ovoviviparous, or viviparous. The majority of North American snakes are colubrines. Among the colubrids are king snakes, water snakes, and garter snakes. Some genera are poisonous. (Goin, Goin, and Zug, Introduction to Herpetology, 3d ed, pp321-29) Colubrid Snakes,Colubrinae,Garter Snake,Natrix,Thamnophis,Toxicodryas,Water Snake,King Snake,Lampropeltis,Colubrid Snake,Garter Snakes,King Snakes,Snake, Colubrid,Snake, Garter,Snake, King,Snake, Water,Water Snakes
D019143 Evolution, Molecular The process of cumulative change at the level of DNA; RNA; and PROTEINS, over successive generations. Molecular Evolution,Genetic Evolution,Evolution, Genetic

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