Evolution of DNA sequences has been retarded in Malagasy primates (original) (raw)

Nature volume 286, pages 420–423 (1980)Cite this article

Abstract

It is generally accepted1 that there are six major groups of living primates: (1) lemurs (including all the primates of Madagascar), (2) lorises (including galago and potto), (3) tarsiers, (4) New World monkeys, (5) Old World monkeys and (6) apes (including man). Tree shrews, once considered to be primates, are now generally recognized2 as not significantly more closely related to the six groups than other mammals. The first surviving primate lines to diverge from the common primate ancestor are believed to have given rise to one or more of the first three groups. However, the fossil record is insufficient to determine their relative branching order3. Furthermore, neither morphological considerations2,4–7 nor studies of protein evolution8,9 produce unanimity as to whether tarsiers are more closely related to the prosimians (the lemurs plus lorises) or the simians (the monkeys and apes). In an attempt to resolve these discrepancies, we have measured the DNA sequence difference between several primates. We report here that the evolution of DNA of primates from Madagascar is significantly less than that of all other groups of living primates. This is not expected in the simplest form of the theory of neutral selection and may be important for our understanding of evolution at the molecular level.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Viral Carcinogenesis, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, 20205
    Tom I. Bonner & George J. Todaro
  2. Program on Genetics, George Washington University, Washington, DC, 20052
    Robert Heinemann

Authors

  1. Tom I. Bonner
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  2. Robert Heinemann
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  3. George J. Todaro
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Bonner, T., Heinemann, R. & Todaro, G. Evolution of DNA sequences has been retarded in Malagasy primates.Nature 286, 420–423 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1038/286420a0

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