Genetic and taxonomic relationships of five species of Rallidae (Aves: Gruiformes) based on mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I sequences

ABSTRACT. This is the first study to detection the genetic relationship between Porphyrio alleni and four Rallidae species: Fulica atra, Gallinulla angulata, Gallinulla chloropus and Porphyrio porphyrio. Mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences were used as an effective marker in this study. DNA of Rallidae species were extracted, amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and then sequenced. The results obtained from information based on COI sequences revealed that Gallinulla angulata and Gallinulla chloropus fall into two separate clades and they are not monophyletic. This suggests that, two moorhens could not be laid into the same genus. In addition, Porphyrio porphyrio was included in the same genus with Porphyrio alleni but they were situated in two different clades. Porphyrio alleni was more related to Gallinulla angulate, Gallinulla chloropus and Fulica atra than Porphyrio porphyrio. It was concluded that, the mitochondrial gene COI can aid in the differentiation of studied species and finding genetic relationships between them.

摘要。本研究首次探究了艾伦紫水鸡（Porphyrio alleni）与4种秧鸡科（Rallidae）物种——骨顶鸡（Fulica atra）、安哥拉黑水鸡（Gallinulla angulata）、普通黑水鸡（Gallinulla chloropus）及紫水鸡（Porphyrio porphyrio）之间的遗传关系。本研究选用线粒体细胞色素C氧化酶亚基I（mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I, COI）序列作为有效分子标记。研究人员提取了秧鸡科物种的DNA，通过聚合酶链式反应（polymerase chain reaction, PCR）扩增后进行测序。基于COI序列的分析结果显示：安哥拉黑水鸡与普通黑水鸡分属两个独立演化支，二者并非单系群，这表明两种黑水鸡不应被划归至同一属。此外，紫水鸡与艾伦紫水鸡同属，但二者分属不同演化支；相较于紫水鸡，艾伦紫水鸡与安哥拉黑水鸡、普通黑水鸡及骨顶鸡的亲缘关系更近。最终得出结论：线粒体COI基因可用于区分本研究涉及的物种，并厘清它们之间的遗传关系。