IS Presbytis A DISTINCT MONOPHYLETIC GENUS: INFERENCES FROM MITOCHONDRIAL DNA SEQUENCES

Abstract

We present a molecular study to examine whether the genus Presbytis is monophyletic and distinct from Trachypithecus. We sequenced 2300 base pairs of the mitochondrial ND3, ND4L, ND4 and associated tRNAs genes. Five species of Presbytis were used including Presbytis melalophos, P. thomasi, P. comata, P. hosei, and P. rubicunda. Trachypithecus, represented by T. cristatus and T. obscurus and Nasalis larvatus, Pygathrix nemaues, Colobus guereza, Macaca nemestrina and M. fascicularis were used as outgroups. Our interpretation based on character and distance analyses suggests that Presbytis forms its own monophyletic clade distinct from the genus Trachypithecus. Relative genetic distance and bootstrap support values from the mtDNA region further confirm the monophyly of Presbytis.