Molecular phylogenetic and evolutional studies of mitochondrial genome in the order Galliformes

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Domesticated fowls such as chicken, turkey, quail, and guineafowl are classically grouped in order Galliformes comprising 283 species. Galliformes consists of 5 families. The 283 species are grouped into 75 genera constituting 5 families. The current grouping has been performed on the basis of morphological features and genomic DNA-DNA hybridization. In the present study, in order to obtain a phylogenetic relationship of avian species grouped in Galliformes based on genome sequence, we have collected blood samples from 29 individuals belonging to 23 species (14 genera in 5 families in Galliformes), and determined the nucleotide sequence of their entire mitochondrial DNAs. Then, using the concatenated amino acid sequence deduced from 12 mitochondrial genes (excluding ND6 gene), phylogenetic analyses were performed by maximum parsimony, and Bayesian analysis methods. The analyses with the two different methods gave one and the same phylogenetic tree for the 23 species. The outline of the tree is as follows : (((((Phasianidae, Odontophoridae), Numididae), Cracidae), Megapodidae), Anseriformes). In the present study, two crucial findings for species classification have been revealed : one is that the species classically grouped in the tribes Phasianini (pheasant) and Perdicinin (partridge) were not grouped in corresponding monophyletic clusters. More precisely, species in Phasianini and species in Perdicinin formed monophyletic clusters. The other one is that Lagopus mutus and Melgaris Gallopavo are evolutionally much closer to genera Lophura than ever reported. These findings would contribute to species conservation and breeding of domesticated fowls.