DNA hybridization, cladistics, and the phylogeny of phalangerid marsupials

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Abstract
Single-copy DNA/DNA hybridization experiments and numerical cladistic analyses of anatomical characters were used to investigate relationships among nine phalangerid (Marsupialia) species from four different genera. Both rate-dependent and rate-independent analyses of molecular data indicate that species ofTrichosurus form one clade and thatStrigocuscus, Phalanger, andSpilocuscus form a second. Within the latter group,Spilocuscus is excluded from aStrigocuscus-Phalanger calde, which, in turn, is not fully resolved on a jackknife strict consensus tree. Minimum-length Dollo, Wagner, and Camin-Sokal parsimony trees based on 35 anatomical characters, in contrast, suggest placement ofStrigocuscus withTrichosurus rather than withSpilocuscus andPhalanger. However, there are two derived characters that support the alternative arrange ofStrigocuscus withSpilocuscus andPhalanger and one character that further unitesStrigocuscus andPhalanger. Thus, DNA hybridization results are not inconsistent with the distribution of derived character states among anatomical characters, only with minimum-length trees based on character data.