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Phylogenetic position of Pelusios williamsi and a critique of current GenBank procedures (Reptilia: Testudines: Pelomedusidae)

2012; Brill; Volume: 33; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1163/156853812x627204

1568-5381

Uwe Fritz, Mario Vargas‐Ramírez, Pavel Široký,

Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology

We re-examine the phylogenetic position of Pelusios williamsi by merging new sequences with an earlier published data set of all Pelusios species, except the possibly extinct P. seychellensis , and the nine previously identified lineages of the closely allied genus Pelomedusa (2054 bp mtDNA, 2025 bp nDNA). Furthermore, we include new sequences of Pelusios broadleyi , P. castanoides , P. gabonensis and P. marani . Individual and combined analyses of the mitochondrial and nuclear data sets indicate that P. williamsi is sister to P. castanoides , as predicted by morphology. This provides evidence for the misidentification of GenBank sequences allegedly representing P. williamsi . Such mislabelled GenBank sequences contribute to continued confusion, because only the original submitter can revise their identification; an impractical procedure impeding the rectification of obvious mistakes. We recommend implementing another option for revising taxonomic identifications, paralleling the century-old best practice of natural history museums for new determinations of specimens. Within P. broadleyi , P. gabonensis and P. marani , there is only shallow genetic divergence, while some phylogeographic structuring is present in the wide-ranging species P. castaneus and P. castanoides .