Ribosomal RNA gene sequences and hominoid phylogeny 1

Abstract

Sequences totaling 3,500 hases from the 28S rRNA gene and from one of the rihosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS1) have been determined for human, chimpanzee (Pun troglodytes), gorilla (Gorilla gorilla), and orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus). Analyses of the rRNA alignments show (1) a clustering of substitutions in the "variable regions" of the 28S gene. (2) a 1.5-3-fold increase in divergence in the transcribed spacer over that in the exon. and (3) that human and chimpanzee are the most closely related pair, in agreement with the results of Miyamoto et al., Sibley and Ahlquist, and Caccone and Powell. 1.primate rRNA, rRNA spacer sequence, hominoid phylogeny.