MOLECULAR PHYLOGENY AND THE GEOGRAPHIC ORIGIN OF HALIOTIDAE TRACED BY HAEMOCYANIN SEQUENCES

摘要

Phylogenetic relationships of 12 species of the vetigastropod family Haliotidae were analysed on the basis of partial haemocyanin coding genes. Both protein-coding and genomic sequence data, of which the latter includes one ancient intron, were analysed. We were able to distinguish two genetically different monophyletic groups with high bootstrap support: (i) the abalones from Europe, South Africa, Australia, Taiwan and Japan group together and are separated from (ii) five California and two Japaneseabalones. The usefulness of haemocyanin as a phylogenetic character and the origin of the Haliotidae are discussed.