Genetic diversity and divergence of the Habu viper, Protobothrops among Japanese subtropical islands.

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25440214
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Biodiversity/Systematics
• Research Institution: Kyushu University
• Principal Investigator: Shibata Hiroki 九州大学, 生体防御医学研究所, 准教授 (80315093)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): CHIJIWA TAKAHITO 崇城大学, 生物生命学部, 教授 (30331060)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): HATTORI SHOSAKU 東京大学, 医科学研究所, 准教授 (30134620) ; KUMAZAWA YOSHINORI 名古屋市立大学, システム自然科学研究科, 教授 (60221941)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 遺伝的多様性 / ハブ / 系統地理学 / ミトゲノム / マイクロサテライトマーカー

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There are 3 Habu species currently recognized in Japan: Protobothrops flavoviridis from the Amami Islands and the Okinawa Islands, P. tokarensis from the Tokara Islands, and P. elegans from the Yaeyama Islands. To survey their genetic divergence and diversity, we determined the complete mitogenome sequence (approx. 17 kb) from 44 specimens collected from 12 islands. The maximum likelihood tree showed a significant divergence between the Amami Clade and the Okinawa Clade. The Amami Clade also includes all specimens from the Tokara Islands currently known as an independent species, P. tokarensis, suggesting the paraphyly of the taxon, P. flavoviridis. In contrast, he validity of the taxon, P. elegans as an independent species was supported. By MCMC method, we estimated the divergence time between the Amami Clade and the Okinawa Clade to be 6.5 MYA, indicating that the vicariance of the two clades preceded the geological separation of the Amami Islands and the Okinawa Islands (~1.5MYA).

Free Research Field

遺伝学