No need to replace an "anomalous" primate (Primates) with an "anomalous" bear (Carnivora, Ursidae)

Main Authors: Gutiérrez, Eliécer, Pine, Ronald H.
Format: Article Journal
Terbitan: , 2015
Subjects:
Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/578768
ctrlnum 578768
fullrecord <?xml version="1.0"?> <dc schemaLocation="http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc/ http://www.openarchives.org/OAI/2.0/oai_dc.xsd"><creator>Guti&#xE9;rrez, Eli&#xE9;cer</creator><creator>Pine, Ronald H.</creator><date>2015-03-16</date><description>By means of mitochondrial 12S rRNA sequencing of putative "yeti", "bigfoot", and other "anomalous primate" hair samples, a recent study concluded that two samples, presented as from the Himalayas, do not belong to an "anomalous primate", but to an unknown, anomalous type of ursid. That is, that they match 12S rRNA sequences of a fossil Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus), but neither of modern Polar Bears, nor of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos), the closest relative of Polar Bears, and one that occurs today in the Himalayas. We have undertaken direct comparison of sequences; replication of the original comparative study; inference of phylogenetic relationships of the two samples with respect to those from all extant species of Ursidae (except for the Giant Panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and two extinct Pleistocene species; and application of a non-tree-based population aggregation approach for species diagnosis and identification. Our results demonstrate that the very short fragment of the 12S rRNA gene sequenced by Sykes et al. is not sufficiently informative to support the hypotheses provided by these authors with respect to the taxonomic identity of the individuals from which these sequences were obtained. We have concluded that there is no reason to believe that the two samples came from anything other than Brown Bears. These analyses afforded an opportunity to test the monophyly of morphologically defined species and to comment on both their phylogenetic relationships and future efforts necessary to advance our understanding of ursid systematics.</description><identifier>https://zenodo.org/record/578768</identifier><identifier>10.3897/zookeys.487.9176</identifier><identifier>oai:zenodo.org:578768</identifier><relation>url:https://zenodo.org/communities/biosyslit</relation><rights>info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess</rights><rights>https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode</rights><source>ZooKeys 487 141-154</source><subject>Animalia</subject><subject>Chordata</subject><subject>Mammalia</subject><subject>PrimatesAnimalia</subject><subject>CarnivoraAnimalia</subject><subject>Carnivora</subject><subject>Ursidae</subject><subject>Mitochondrial DNA</subject><subject>phylogenetics</subject><subject>Ursus maritimus</subject><subject>Ursus arctos</subject><subject>Himalayas</subject><subject>yeti</subject><subject>cryptozoology</subject><title>No need to replace an "anomalous" primate (Primates) with an "anomalous" bear (Carnivora, Ursidae)</title><type>Journal:Article</type><type>Journal:Article</type><recordID>578768</recordID></dc>
format Journal:Article
Journal
Journal:Journal
author Gutiérrez, Eliécer
Pine, Ronald H.
title No need to replace an "anomalous" primate (Primates) with an "anomalous" bear (Carnivora, Ursidae)
publishDate 2015
topic Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
PrimatesAnimalia
CarnivoraAnimalia
Carnivora
Ursidae
Mitochondrial DNA
phylogenetics
Ursus maritimus
Ursus arctos
Himalayas
yeti
cryptozoology
url https://zenodo.org/record/578768
contents By means of mitochondrial 12S rRNA sequencing of putative "yeti", "bigfoot", and other "anomalous primate" hair samples, a recent study concluded that two samples, presented as from the Himalayas, do not belong to an "anomalous primate", but to an unknown, anomalous type of ursid. That is, that they match 12S rRNA sequences of a fossil Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus), but neither of modern Polar Bears, nor of Brown Bears (Ursus arctos), the closest relative of Polar Bears, and one that occurs today in the Himalayas. We have undertaken direct comparison of sequences; replication of the original comparative study; inference of phylogenetic relationships of the two samples with respect to those from all extant species of Ursidae (except for the Giant Panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and two extinct Pleistocene species; and application of a non-tree-based population aggregation approach for species diagnosis and identification. Our results demonstrate that the very short fragment of the 12S rRNA gene sequenced by Sykes et al. is not sufficiently informative to support the hypotheses provided by these authors with respect to the taxonomic identity of the individuals from which these sequences were obtained. We have concluded that there is no reason to believe that the two samples came from anything other than Brown Bears. These analyses afforded an opportunity to test the monophyly of morphologically defined species and to comment on both their phylogenetic relationships and future efforts necessary to advance our understanding of ursid systematics.
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