Mitochondrial DNA Relationships Within the Sarus Crane Species Group (Gruiformes: Gruidae)

Abstract

We report 1.3 kb of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequence from the cytochrome-b, tRNA^Thr and tRNA^Pro genes for Sarus Grus antigone, Brolga Grus rubicunda, White-naped Grus vipio and Japanese Grus japonensis Cranes. Previous morphological, behavioural and molecular studies have shown that the former three taxa comprise a monophyletic species group but have been unable to resolve relationships among them. Phylogenetic analysis of mtDNA sequences demonstrates that the Brolga and Whitenaped Crane haplotypes are most closely related. Estimates of the time between successive speciation events, generation time and effective population sizes suggest that there is potential for the mtDNA gene tree to differ from the species tree due to lineage sorting. Genetic divergences among haplotypes suggest that dispersal of ancestral Brolgas to Australia probably occurred in the early Pleistocene.