2014/06/04 by А. А. Банникова, Vladimir S. Lebedev, Alexei V. Abramov +1 · 1 voice · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Genetic diversity and population structure #Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
paper · doi:10.1111/bij.12299
openalex publication_date 2014/06/04 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/06/23
The subfamilies Erinaceinae and Galericinae of the extant family Erinaceidae are the only living representatives of the once diverse taxon Erinaceomorpha. In the present study, we performed the first multilocus analysis of phylogenetic relationships among genera of Erinaceidae and estimated the split times between and within the two subfamilies. The analyses of five nuclear and two mitochondrial genes produced a well-resolved molecular phylogeny. Generally, the molecular tree is compatible with the morphology-based taxonomy proposed by Frost, Wozencraft & Hoffmann with the exception of the position of Mesechinus, which is placed as the closest sister taxon of Hemiechinus. Another point of contradiction between molecular and morphological phylogenies is the position of Hylomys megalotis, which was consistently placed as the most basal branch among all gymnures in molecular analyses. Genetic relationships between Erinaceusand Atelerix remain unclear, suggesting a hard trichotomy among these two lineages and Hemiechinus + Paraechinus. Molecular dating suggests an ancient origin of the extant gymnure lineages, which date back to the late Eocene to early Oligocene. The age of the basal split within spiny hedgehogs is relatively recent and corresponds to the Miocene–Pliocene boundary. Possible changes to the erinaceid taxonomy are considered.