The molecular systematics of Southern African Testudinidae

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dc.contributor.advisorHarley, Eric Hen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorVarhol, Richard Josephen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2018-01-24T11:46:27Z
dc.date.available2018-01-24T11:46:27Z
dc.date.issued1998en_ZA
dc.description.abstractSixteen of the world's 42 species of land tortoises occur in Africa, 10 of which are endemic to southern Africa. South Africa itself, which occupies 0.8% of the earth's total land mass, has the highest tortoise biodiversity in the world, with 13 species. This is the first study to use molecular techniques to investigate the evolutionary history of this group, which displays an unusually high level of speciation on the continent. Four hundred and fifty base pairs of mtDNA cytochrome b sequence were obtained, using direct PCR-based sequencing, from 32 individual tortoise blood samples, comprising 13 different species from 6 genera. PAUP 3. 1.1, and MEGA were used to infer a phylogeny using Chrysemys scripta elegans (an Emydid) an outgroup. Both phenetic and cladistic methods generated similar results. With the exception of Malacochersus, both morphological and molecular work show largely congruent results. When intra-specific relationships, using the molecular results, were compared to the existing morphological data, Psammobates was the only genus with a consistent topology. Proposals for the re-evaluation of Homopus, Kinixys and Geochelone have been made. Suggestions, based on molecular results, include the distinction between Chersobius and Homopus (Hewitt 1937), incorporating Malacochersus tornieri into Kinixys, and the elevation of Geochelone pardalis pardalis and G.p. babcocki to species level. Sequencing a further nine individuals within Homopus areolatus showed a higher than expected sequence variation, suggesting a distinct population structure and possibly cryptic species.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationVarhol, R. J. (1998). <i>The molecular systematics of Southern African Testudinidae</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Chemical Pathology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26918en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationVarhol, Richard Joseph. <i>"The molecular systematics of Southern African Testudinidae."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Chemical Pathology, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26918en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationVarhol, R. 1998. The molecular systematics of Southern African Testudinidae. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Varhol, Richard Joseph AB - Sixteen of the world's 42 species of land tortoises occur in Africa, 10 of which are endemic to southern Africa. South Africa itself, which occupies 0.8% of the earth's total land mass, has the highest tortoise biodiversity in the world, with 13 species. This is the first study to use molecular techniques to investigate the evolutionary history of this group, which displays an unusually high level of speciation on the continent. Four hundred and fifty base pairs of mtDNA cytochrome b sequence were obtained, using direct PCR-based sequencing, from 32 individual tortoise blood samples, comprising 13 different species from 6 genera. PAUP 3. 1.1, and MEGA were used to infer a phylogeny using Chrysemys scripta elegans (an Emydid) an outgroup. Both phenetic and cladistic methods generated similar results. With the exception of Malacochersus, both morphological and molecular work show largely congruent results. When intra-specific relationships, using the molecular results, were compared to the existing morphological data, Psammobates was the only genus with a consistent topology. Proposals for the re-evaluation of Homopus, Kinixys and Geochelone have been made. Suggestions, based on molecular results, include the distinction between Chersobius and Homopus (Hewitt 1937), incorporating Malacochersus tornieri into Kinixys, and the elevation of Geochelone pardalis pardalis and G.p. babcocki to species level. Sequencing a further nine individuals within Homopus areolatus showed a higher than expected sequence variation, suggesting a distinct population structure and possibly cryptic species. DA - 1998 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1998 T1 - The molecular systematics of Southern African Testudinidae TI - The molecular systematics of Southern African Testudinidae UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26918 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/26918
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationVarhol RJ. The molecular systematics of Southern African Testudinidae. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Health Sciences ,Division of Chemical Pathology, 1998 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/26918en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDivision of Chemical Pathologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Health Sciencesen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherChemical Pathologyen_ZA
dc.titleThe molecular systematics of Southern African Testudinidaeen_ZA
dc.typeMaster Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelMasters
dc.type.qualificationnameMSc (Med)en_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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