RESUMEN
Parsimony analysis of matK and rbcL sequence data, together with a nonmolecular database, yielded a well-resolved phylogeny of Cupressaceae sensu lato. Monophyly of Cupressaceae sensu stricto is well supported, and separate northern and southern hemisphere subclades are resolved, with Tetraclinis within the northern subclade; there is no support for any of the tribes sensu Li. Taxodiaceae comprise five separate lineages. Chamaecyparis nootkatensis falls within Cupressus, clustering with a robust clade of New World species. Libocedrus Florin is paraphyletic and should incorporate Pilgerodendron. Evolution of several characters of wood and leaf anatomy and chemistry is discussed in light of this estimate of the phylogeny; numerous parallelisms are apparent. A new infrafamilial classification is proposed in which seven subfamilies are recognized: Callitroideae Saxton, Athrotaxidoideae Quinn, Cunninghamioideae (Sieb. & Zucc.) Quinn, Cupressoideae Rich. ex Sweet, Sequoioideae (Luerss.) Quinn, Taiwanioideae (Hayata) Quinn, Taxodioideae Endl. ex K. Koch. The rbcL sequence for Taxodium distichum is corrected, and the implications for a previously published estimate of the minimum rate of divergence of the gene since the Miocene are highlighted.
RESUMEN
In this study we show how the use of exon-primed, intron-crossing (EPIC) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of a diploid intronic region, in conjunction with temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE), can be used to detect and rapidly assess allelic variation at the nucleotide level. We developed passerine-specific primers to amplify and sequence a 762 bp region including the second intron of the myoglobin gene in the Gouldian Finch, Erythrura gouldiae. A POLAND plot based on this sequence indicated that TGGE in combination with heteroduplex analysis (TGGE/HA) should reveal nucleotide variation in the 160 bp low-melting domain. Sequencing of the entire fragment from 19 Er. gouldiae revealed five nucleotide substitution differences within the low-melt domain, all of which could be detected and differentiated by TGGE/HA, and an additional substitution in a section of the high-melt domain which characterised another allele. A total of 181 individuals from four populations were screened for these six alleles.
