Malaysian fruit bats phylogeny inferred using Ribosomal RNA

Fourteen species of the Malaysian fruit bats (Pteropodidae) were used in this DNA taxonomy using 1,334bp of the 12S ribosomal RNA (rRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA) valine and 16S rRNA gene segments. Previous studies using DNA found contradictions between morphology and molecular data in inferring the phylogeny of the fruit bats proposed by Andersen (1912). Our phylogenetic analysis using the neighbor-joining and the maximum parsimony methods did not support the monophyly of the subfamily Macroglossinae and the cynopterine group of the subfamily Pteropodinae as proposed by classical taxonomists. This is congruent with previous molecular studies. Here, we provide the first registered 12S rRNA, tRNA valine and 16S rRNA sequence records for Dyacopterus spadiceus in the GenBank database. This study represents the first attempt to infer the phylogenetic relationship of fruit bats from Malaysia using molecular methods

Phylogeny and phylogeography of fruit bats in the subfamily pteropodinae in Malaysia

phylogenetic relationships on Megachiroptera have previously been constructed based on morphological and behavioral data but to date no one has investigates all Malaysian pteropodids species using molecular characte hus, study was done to understand the plylogeny and phylogeography of Pteropodinae in Malaysia. Sixty-two samples from 14 species of the Malaysian fruit bats (subfamily: Pteropodinae) were analysed using 395 base pairs of partial cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA gene. Another 74 samples from 18 species of Malaysian megachiroptera (subfamily: Pteropodinae and subfamily: Macroglossinae) were analysed using 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA gene (total length of 1321 base pairs including gaps). Phylogenetic analysis using neighbour-joining (NJ), maximum parsimony (MP) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods in both genes did not support the monophyly of the rousettine, cynopterine and macroglossine groups of the family Pteropodidae as proposed by Andersen (1912). However, molecular data indicated that the taxonomic revision of some section might be necessary particularly for the rousettine and cynopterine groUP hiS study also supports the two morphologically similar Cynopterus species; C. brachyotis I and C. brachyotis II are indeed phylogenetically distinct from each other and that C. brachyotis I need further investigations on it current taxonomic status. As for the genera Cynopterus, Megaerops, Dyacopterus, Aetha!ops, Chironax, Balionycteris and Penthetor, although they are morphologically grouped within the same group namely, Cynopterini, the phylogenetic results refuted their classification as the .­ monophyletic grou . Results also revealed two significant findings for the C. brachyotis I; (1) the Borneo C. brachyotis I are distinct lineage of the C. brachyotis I from Malay Peninsula and (2) v the existence of two lineage of the C. brachyotis I from Sarawak. Examination of 1140 base pairs ofthe mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b gene from 108 individuals of C. horsfieldi was done and revealed that this species was belonged to the genus Cynopterus (subfamily: Pteropodinae), a species ofthe fruit bat known to inhabit Southeast Asia region. Samples were taken from various locations throughout Sarawak, Sabah and Malay Peninsula, which include two individuals from southern Thailand. Nucleotide and protein coding sequences were subjected to phylogenetic analyses by using NJ, MP and ML methods. The high genetic divergence between the C. horsfieldi from the Sabah population and Malay Peninsula populations (~3.6%) showed Sabah as the most isolated region with little or no connection with mainland. The results also suggested that the least far genetic relationship between the C. horsfieldi from the southern Sarawak and all the Malay Peninsula populations, revealed the disconnection of the two regions during the last Pleistocene periods. In general, the sequencing analysis of the 12S and 16S ribosomal RNA and partial cytochrome b mitochondrial region are useful in resolving phylogenetic relationship among fruit bats in Malaysia. Complete sequencing of the cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA region is useful to resolve the phylogenetic relationships and proven to be useful as model species in illustrating the biogeographical history of Cynopterus species Malaysia. Overall, this result was proven to be able to provide a significant contribution to the understanding of phylogenetic and biogeographical relationships of Pteropodidae in Malaysia

Phylogenetic relationships of fruit bats (Family: Pteropodidae) in Malaysia inferred from partial mtDNA cytochrome b gene

The taxonomic relationships of the Old World fruit bat family, Pteropodinae, by Anderson (1912) using morphological characters have been challenged by several authors. Previous studies using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) found major disagreement between morphology and molecular data in inferring the phylogeny of the fruit bats. Fifty-eight samples from 14 species of the Malaysian fruit bats (Family: Pteropodidae) was used in this study to examine on the phylogenogenetic relationship between species of fruit bats using 395 base pairs of partial mtDNA cytochrome b (cyt b) gene. Our phylogenetic analysis using neighbour-joining and maximum parsimony methods failed to support the monophyly of both the rousettine and cynopterine groups of the Subfamily Pteropodinae

Malaysian fruit bats phylogeny inferred using ribosomal RNA

Fourteen species of the Malaysian fruit bats (Pteropodidae) were used in this DNA taxaonomy using 1,334bp of the 125 ribosomal RNA (rRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA) valine and 16S rRNA gene segments. Previous studies using DNA found contradictious between morphology and molecular data in inferring the phylogeny of the fruit bat proposed by Audersen (1912). Our phylogenetic analysis using the neighbor-joining and the maximum parsimony methods did not support the monophyly of subfamily Macroglossinae and the cynopterine group of the subfamily Pteropodinae as proposed by classical taxouomist. This is cougruent with previous molecular studies. Here, we provide the first registered 12S rRNA, tRNA valine and 16S rRNA sequence records for Dyacopterus spadiceus in the GenBank database. This study represents the first attempt to infer the phylogeuetic relationship of fruits bats from Malaysia using molecular method