- Letter
- Published:
Relationship of aardvark to elephants, hyraxes and sea cows from α-crystallin sequences
Naturevolume 292, pages538–540 (1981)Cite this article
475Accesses
58Citations
4Altmetric
Abstract
One of the great enigmas of mammalian phylogeny is the genealogical relationship of the aardvark (Orycteropus afer), the only living representative of the order Tubulidentata. Although now generally grouped close to the ungulates and paenungulates1–4, and thought to be derived from a common condylarthran stock5–7, it still holds an isolated position among eutherian mammals. The evidence of the evolutionary relationships of the aardvark may be obscured at the morphological and anatomical level by the pronounced adaptations to its ant-eating and burrowing habits, and may be better preserved in its protein molecules, as direct copies of the genetic material. We have therefore now studied the amino acid sequence of the eye lens protein α-crystallin A of the aardvark, and compared it with the corresponding sequences from species representing 15 mammalian orders. Unique similarities were observed among the α-crystallin A sequences of aardvark and the paenungulates manatee, hyrax and elephant, suggesting that the closest relatives of the Tubulidentata are found in the paenungulate orders Sirenia (sea cows), Hydracoidea (hydraxes) and Proboscidea (elephants). Moreover, these orders do not seem to be derived from a common stem group with the ungulates, but might well be one of the first offshoots of the placental mammalian line.
This is a preview of subscription content,access via your institution
Access options
Subscription info for Japanese customers
We have a dedicated website for our Japanese customers. Please go tonatureasia.com to subscribe to this journal.
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to the full article PDF.
￥ 4,980
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
Diversification of the Balloon bushcrickets (Orthoptera, Hexacentrinae,Aerotegmina) in the East African mountains
References
Simpson, G. G.Bull. Am. Mus. nat. Hist.85, 1–350 (1945).
Van Valen, L.Evolution25, 420–428 (1971).
McKenna, M. C. inPhytogeny of the Primates (eds Luckett, W. P. & Szalay, F. S.) 21–46 (Plenum, New York, 1975).
Szalay, F. S. inMajor Patterns in Vertebrate Evolution (eds Hecht, M. K., Goody, P. C. & Hecht, B. M.) 315–374 (NATO Advanced Study Institute, Plenum, New York, 1977).
Romer, A. S.Vertebrate Paleontology 3rd edn (University of Chicago Press, 1966).
Thenius, E.Phylogenie der Mammalia (de Gruyter, Berlin, 1969).
Patterson, B. inEvolution of African Mammals (eds Maglio, V. J. & Cooke, H. B. S.) 268–278 (Harvard University Press, 1978).
Bloemendal, H. (ed.)Molecular and Cellular Biology of the Eye Lens (Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1981).
Clayton, R. M. inThe Eye Vol.5 (ed. Davson, H.) 399–494 (Academic, New York, 1974).
De Jong, W. W., Gleaves, J. T. & Boulter, D.J. molec. Evol.10, 123–135 (1977).
De Jong, W. W., Zweers, A., Joysey, K. A., Gleaves, J. T. & Boulter, D. inThe Evolution and Ecology of Sloths, Anteaters and Armadillos (ed. Montgomery, G. G.) (Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC, in the press).
Moore, G. W., Barnabas, J. & Goodman, M.J. theor. Biol.38, 459–485 (1973).
Moore, G. W. inMolecular Anthropology (eds Goodman, M. & Tashian, R. E.) 117–137 (Plenum, New York, 1976).
Shoshani, J., Goodman, M. & Prychodko, W.Am. Zool.18, 601 (1978).
Le Gros Clark, W. E. & Sonntag, D. F.Proc. zool. Soc. Lond.30, 445–485 (1926).
Engelmann, G. F. inThe Evolution and Ecology of Sloths, Anteaters and Armadillos (ed. Montgomery, G. G.) (Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington DC, in the press).
Dene, H., Goodman, M. & Romero-Herrera, A. E.Proc. R. Soc. B207, 111–127 (1980).
Van der Ouderaa, F. J., De Jong, W. W. & Bloemendal, H.Eur. J. Biochem.39, 207–222 (1973).
De Jong, W. W. & Terwindt, E. C.Eur. J. Biochem.67, 503–510 (1976).
Van Druten, J. A. M., Peer, P. G. M., Bos, A. B. H. & De Jong, W. W.J. theor. Biol.73, 549–561 (1978).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Department of Biochemistry, University of Nijmegen, 6500 HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Wilfried W. de Jong & Anneke Zweers
Department of Anatomy, Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, 48201, USA
Morris Goodman
- Wilfried W. de Jong
Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar
- Anneke Zweers
Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar
- Morris Goodman
Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
de Jong, W., Zweers, A. & Goodman, M. Relationship of aardvark to elephants, hyraxes and sea cows from α-crystallin sequences.Nature292, 538–540 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1038/292538a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue date:
Share this article
Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:
Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.
Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative
This article is cited by
The insular cortex: a comparative perspective
- Camilla Butti
- Patrick R. Hof
Brain Structure and Function (2010)
Divergence time estimates of mammals from molecular clocks and fossils: Relevance of new fossil finds from India
- G. V. R. Prasad
Journal of Biosciences (2009)
Genome Size: A Novel Genomic Signature in Support of Afrotheria
- Carlo Alberto Redi
- Silvia Garagna
- Ernesto Capanna
Journal of Molecular Evolution (2007)
The necessity of functional proteomics: protein species and molecular function elucidation exemplified by in vivo alpha A crystallin N-terminal truncation
- W. Hoehenwarter
- R. Ackermann
- P. R. Jungblut
Amino Acids (2006)
Endemic African mammals shake the phylogenetic tree
- Mark S. Springer
- Gregory C. Cleven
- Michael J. Stanhope
Nature (1997)
