TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kehlmaier, Christian
A1  - Barlow, Axel
A1  - Hastings, Alexander K.
A1  - Vamberger, Melita
A1  - Paijmans, Johanna L. A.
A1  - Steadman, David W.
A1  - Albury, Nancy A.
A1  - Franz, Richard
A1  - Hofreiter, Michael
A1  - Fritz, Uwe
T1  - Tropical ancient DNA reveals relationships of the extinct bahamian giant tortoise Chelonoidis alburyorum
T2  - Proceedings of the Royal Society of London : Series B, Biological sciences
N2  - Ancient DNA of extinct species from the Pleistocene and Holocene has provided valuable evolutionary insights. However, these are largely restricted to mammals and high latitudes because DNA preservation in warm climates is typically poor. In the tropics and subtropics, non-avian reptiles constitute a significant part of the fauna and little is known about the genetics of the many extinct reptiles from tropical islands. We have reconstructed the near-complete mitochondrial genome of an extinct giant tortoise from the Bahamas (Chelonoidis alburyorum) using an approximately 1000-year-old humerus from a water-filled sinkhole (blue hole) on Great Abaco Island. Phylogenetic and molecular clock analyses place this extinct species as closely related to Galapagos (C. niger complex) and Chaco tortoises (C. chilensis), and provide evidence for repeated overseas dispersal in this tortoise group. The ancestors of extant Chelonoidis species arrived in South America from Africa only after the opening of the Atlantic Ocean and dispersed from there to the Caribbean and the Galapagos Islands. Our results also suggest that the anoxic, thermally buffered environment of blue holes may enhance DNA preservation, and thus are opening a window for better understanding evolution and population history of extinct tropical species, which would likely still exist without human impact.
KW  - Bahamas
KW  - biogeography
KW  - extinction
KW  - palaeontology
KW  - phylogeny
Y1  - 2017
UR  - https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/55504
SN  - 0962-8452
SN  - 1471-2954
VL  - 284
PB  - The Royal Society
CY  - London
ER  -