Dissertation Research: Molecular Systematics of The Papionini

先前使用形态学和分子技术对旧大陆猴子进行的系统研究结果存在分歧。许多可能的关系已经提出了部落的成员（狒狒，演习，山魈，猕猴和白眉），但没有先前的研究是基于核苷酸序列。这些关系的问题将解决使用细胞色素c氧化酶（COII）线粒体基因核苷酸序列推导系统发育的假设。该基因由于其变化率，缺乏重组和易于研究，是研究木瓜系统学的理想基因。这项研究的结果应该提供两种有价值的信息。首先，更好地了解旧大陆猴子之间的种系关系应该是可能的。其次，通过将Papionini基因序列与其他灵长类动物和非灵长类哺乳动物的基因序列进行比较，将更好地了解线粒体基因组的变化率。这一点很重要，因为进化速率会影响有关分支事件发生顺序和时间的结论，从而影响对这些灵长类动物和其他灵长类动物谱系的化石记录的解释。

The results of previous systematic studies of Old World monkeys using morphological and molecular techniques have been in disagreement. Many possible relationships have been proposed for members of the tribe Papionini (baboons, drills, mandrills, macaques and mangabeys), but no previous studies have been based on nucleotide sequences. The question of these relationships will be addressed using cytochrome c oxidase (COII) mitochondrial gene nucleotide sequences to derive phylogeneic hypotheses. This gene is ideal for a study of Papionini systematics due to its rate of change, lack of recombination, and ease of study. The results of this study should provide two kinds of valuable information. First, a better understanding of the phyletic relationships among Old World monkeys should be possible. Second, by comparing Papionini gene sequences to those of other primates and non-primate mammals, a better understanding will emerge of the rate of change in the mitochondrial genome. This is important since the rate affects conclusions regarding the order and timing of branching events, and consequently interpretations of the fossil record both for these primates and for other primate lineages.