Mitochondrial DNA of the extinct quagga: Relatedness and extent of postmortem change (original) (raw)

Summary

Sequences are reported for portions of two mitochondrial genes from a domestic horse and a plains zebra and compared to those published for a quagga and a mountain zebra. The extinct quagga and plains zebra sequences are identical at all silent sites, whereas the horsse sequence differs from both of them by 11 silent substitutions. Postmortem changes in quagga DNA may account for the two coding substitutions between the quagga and plains zebra sequences. The hypothesis that the closest relative of the quagga is the domestic horse receives no support from these data. From the extent of sequence divergence between horse and zebra mitochondrial DNAs (mtDNAs), as well as from information about the fossil record, we estimate that the mean rate of mtDNA divergence in_Equus_ is similar to that in other mammals, i.e., roughly 2% per million years.

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Author notes

1. Russell G. Higuchi
   Present address: Department of Human Genetics, Cetus Corporation, 1400 53rd Street, 94608, Emeryville, California, USA
2. Lisa A. Wrischnik
   Present address: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, 94143, San Francisco, California, USA
3. Elizabeth Oakes
   Present address: Stanford University Medical School, 94305, Stanford, California, USA
4. Matthew George
   Present address: Department of Biochemistry, Howard University, 20059, Washington, D.C., USA
5. Benton Tong
   Present address: Hematology Research, Jewish Hospital, 216 S. Kingshighway, 63110, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Biochemistry, University of California, 94720, Berkeley, California, USA
   Russell G. Higuchi, Lisa A. Wrischnik, Elizabeth Oakes & Allan C. Wilson
2. Research Department, Zoological Society of San Diego, 92112, San Diego, California, USA
   Matthew George & Benton Tong

Authors

1. Russell G. Higuchi
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2. Lisa A. Wrischnik
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3. Elizabeth Oakes
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4. Matthew George
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5. Benton Tong
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6. Allan C. Wilson
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Higuchi, R.G., Wrischnik, L.A., Oakes, E. et al. Mitochondrial DNA of the extinct quagga: Relatedness and extent of postmortem change.J Mol Evol 25, 283–287 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02603111

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• Received: 18 September 1986
• Revised: 09 January 1987
• Issue Date: August 1987
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02603111

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