FAS Abstracts 2004 Meeting Page

Biological Sciences (BIO A): BIO-5

|search by author| |return to BIO A 2004| |return to FAS 2004|

Evolution of the New World Coral snakes (Micrurus and Micruroides: Elapidae): phylogenetic evidence for taxonomic chaos. T.A. CASTOE (1), E.N. SMITH (2), and C.L. PARKINSON (1). (1) Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32816, (2) Dept. of Biology, Univ. of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX 76010. Coral snakes represent an extraordinary radiation of brightly colored venomous snakes including ~90 species. Despite the medical importance and wide distribution of coral snakes very little is known about their phylogeny. We present the most complete phylogenetic hypothesis for coral snakes to date, based on ~1.5kb of mtDNA sequence data for nearly 200 coral snake samples (OTUs). Our data suggest a majority of species are in need of critical review and that both the alpha taxonomy and generic recognitions are in conflict with phylogeny. Additionally, we discuss the possibility for multiple ancient invasions of the New World by Old World lineages of coral snakes, based on reconstructed mtDNA phylogenies and preliminary nuclear gene data.