We present a comprehensively sampled three-gene phylogeny of the monophyletic Forcipulatacea, one of three major lineages within the crown-group Asteroidea. We present substantially more Southern Hemisphere and deep-sea taxa than were sampled in previous molecular studies of this group. Morphologically distinct groups, such as the Brisingida and the Zoroasteridae, are upheld as monophyletic. Br...

We take advantage of the broad distribution of howler monkeys from Mexico to Argentina to provide a historical biogeographical analysis on a regional scale that encompasses the entire Neotropics. The phylogenetic relationships among 9 of the 10 recognized Alouatta species were inferred using three mitochondrial and two nuclear genes. The nuclear gene regions provided no phylogenetic resolution ...

I investigated the phylogenetic relationships within the New World Blepharida and among related genera, using sequences of the Internal Transcriber Spacer 2 (ITS2) of nuclear ribosomal DNA and sequences of the COI and COII genes of the mitochondrial genome. Cladistic analyses were performed using parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods. These methods generated almost identical topol...

The genus Pteronotropis is widely distributed along the gulf slope of eastern North America from Louisiana to Florida and rivers in South Carolina along the Atlantic slope. Pteronotropis have very distinctive, flamboyant coloration. The habitats most frequently associated with these species include heavily vegetated backwater bayous to small sluggish or flowing tannin-stained streams. Although ...

Despite the widespread perception that evolutionary inference from molecular sequences is a statistical problem, there has been very little attention paid to questions of experimental design. Previous consideration of this topic has led to little more than an empirical folklore regarding the choice of suitable genes for analysis, and to dispute over the best choice of taxa for inclusion in data...