A mitogenomic timetree for Darwin’s enigmatic South American mammal Macrauchenia patachonica

Michael Westbury, Sina Baleka, Axel Barlow, Stefanie Hartmann, Johanna L.A. Paijmans, Alejandro Kramarz, Analía M Forasiepi, Mariano Bond, Javier N. Gelfo, Marcelo A. Reguero, Patricio López-Mendoza, Matias Taglioretti, Fernando Scaglia, Andrés Rinderknecht, Washington Jones, Francisco Mena, Guillaume Billet, Christian de Muizon, José Luis Aguilar, Ross D.E. MacPhee () and Michael Hofreiter ()
Additional contact information
Michael Westbury: University of Potsdam, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology
Sina Baleka: University of Potsdam, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology
Axel Barlow: University of Potsdam, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology
Stefanie Hartmann: University of Potsdam, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology
Johanna L.A. Paijmans: University of Potsdam, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology
Alejandro Kramarz: CONICET and Sección Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’
Analía M Forasiepi: IANIGLA, CCT-CONICET Mendoza
Mariano Bond: CONICET and División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n°
Javier N. Gelfo: CONICET and División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n°
Marcelo A. Reguero: CONICET and División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n°
Patricio López-Mendoza: ARQMAR, Center for Maritime Archeology Research of the South Eastern Pacific
Matias Taglioretti: Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales ‘Lorenzo Scaglia’
Fernando Scaglia: Museo Municipal de Ciencias Naturales ‘Lorenzo Scaglia’
Andrés Rinderknecht: Museo Nacional de Historia Natural
Washington Jones: Museo Nacional de Historia Natural
Francisco Mena: Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia
Guillaume Billet: Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CR2P (CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, Sorbonne-Université)
Christian de Muizon: Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, CR2P (CNRS, MNHN, UPMC, Sorbonne-Université)
José Luis Aguilar: Museo Paleontológico de San Pedro ‘Fray Manuel de Torres’
Ross D.E. MacPhee: American Museum of Natural History
Michael Hofreiter: University of Potsdam, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract The unusual mix of morphological traits displayed by extinct South American native ungulates (SANUs) confounded both Charles Darwin, who first discovered them, and Richard Owen, who tried to resolve their relationships. Here we report an almost complete mitochondrial genome for the litoptern Macrauchenia. Our dated phylogenetic tree places Macrauchenia as sister to Perissodactyla, but close to the radiation of major lineages within Laurasiatheria. This position is consistent with a divergence estimate of ∼66 Ma (95% credibility interval, 56.64–77.83 Ma) obtained for the split between Macrauchenia and other Panperissodactyla. Combined with their morphological distinctiveness, this evidence supports the positioning of Litopterna (possibly in company with other SANU groups) as a separate order within Laurasiatheria. We also show that, when using strict criteria, extinct taxa marked by deep divergence times and a lack of close living relatives may still be amenable to palaeogenomic analysis through iterative mapping against more distant relatives.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15951

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