Biosystematics

This study was conducted using qualitative and quantitative morphology to characterise and group different representative species of the family Sapindaceae in Africa. The morphological characters used included leaf, stem and fruit. Essentially, the similarities among various taxa in the family were estimated. A total of 28 genera and 106 species were assessed. Members possess compound leaves (paripinnate, imparipinnate or trifoliolate); flowers are in clusters, fruits occur as berry, drupe or capsule and contain seed with white or orange aril. UPGMA dendograms were generated showing relationships amongst taxa studied. The dendograms consists of a single cluster from 0 57 % similarity coefficients suggesting a single line decent of the members of the family. At 65 % two clusters were observed with Majidea fosterii being separated from the cluster. Also, at 67 % similarity coefficient, two clusters were discerned separating the climbing forms from the shrubby forms. Paullinia pinnata was separated from the other climbing forms at 67 % while Allophylus species were separated into two clusters at 91 % similarity coefficient. The dendograms revealed that the family can be separated into eleven (11) clusters based on qualitative morphological data. A key to the identification of genera is presented in this work. ABSTRACT 303

We describe Halmaheramys bokimekot Fabre, Pagès, Musser, Fitriana, Semiadi & Helgen gen. et sp. nov., a new genus and species of murine rodent from the North Moluccas, and study its phylogenetic placement using both molecular and morphological data. We generated a densely sampled mitochondrial and nuclear DNA data set that included most genera of Indo-Pacific Murinae, and used probabilistic methodologies to infer their phylogenetic relationships. To reconstruct their biogeographical history, we first dated the topology and then used a Lagrange analysis to infer ancestral geographic areas. Finally, we combined the ancestral area reconstructions with temporal information to compare patterns of murine colonization among Indo-Pacific archipelagos. We provide a new and comprehensive molecular phylogenetic reconstruction for Indo-Pacific Murinae, with a focus on the Rattus division. Using previous results and those presented in this study, we define a new Indo-Pacific group within the Rattus division, composed of Bullimus, Bunomys, Paruromys, Halmaheramys, Sundamys, and Taeromys. Our phylogenetic reconstructions revealed a relatively recent diversification from the Middle Miocene to Plio-Pleistocene associated with several major dispersal events. We identified two independent Indo-Pacific dispersal events from both western and eastern Indo-Pacific archipelagos to the isolated island of Halmahera, which led to the speciations of H. bokimekot gen. et sp. nov. and Rattus morotaiensis . We propose that a Middle Miocene collision between the Halmahera and Sangihe arcs may have been responsible for the arrival of the ancestor of Halmaheramys to eastern Wallacea. Halmaheramys bokimekot gen. et sp. nov. is described in detail, and its systematics and biogeography are documented and illustrated.

Статья посвящена анализу развития филогенетики – области биологической система-тики, которая занимается идентификацией и прояснением эволюционных взаимоотношений между видами, как ныне живущими, так и вымершими. Цель статьи – выделить и охарактери-зовать ключевые этапы становления и развития филогенетической систематики. В статье представлена краткая характеристика основных периодов формирования филогенетики, начи-ная с эпохи Древнего мира и заканчивая Новейшим временем, от элементарного описания видов до изучения нуклеотидных последовательностей макромолекулярных структур. Дан обзор древ-них трудов и манускриптов, послуживших идейно-историческими предпосылками становления и дальнейшего развития филогенетической систематики. Представлены ключевые деятели фи-лософии и науки различных эпох, чьи труды послужили базисом для формирования данного направления. Показано влияние иерархической системы соподчиненных таксонов К. Линнея и идеи «Лестницы природы» Г. Лейбница на процессы становления филогенетических идей, влия-ние эволюционного учения Ч. Дарвина на развитие филогенетической систематики, а также взаимосвязь ее составляющих с палеонтологическими, сравнительно-анатомическими и сравни-тельно-эмбриологическими исследованиями. Авторами отмечаются основные причины взлета и падения интереса к проблемам филогенетики. Дан обзор основных методов и принципов со-временной филогении, характеристика ее «идеологического ядра», а также места молекулярно-генетических и количественных методов в филогенетических исследованиях. Ключевые слова: история биологии, филогенетика, кладистика, геномика, нумерическая филетика.