Phylogenetic reconstruction using secondary structures of Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2, rDNA): finding the molecular and morphological gap in Caribbean gorgonian corals.

Abstract excerpt

BACKGROUND: Most phylogenetic studies using current methods have focused on primary DNA sequence information. However, RNA secondary structures are particularly useful in systematics because they include characteristics, not found in the primary sequence, that give "morphological" information. Despite the number of recent molecular studies on octocorals, there is no consensus opinion about a region that carries...

Topics

• Animals
• Anthozoa
• DNA, Ribosomal Spacer
• Evolution, Molecular
• Genetic Speciation
• Genetic Variation
• Nucleic Acid Conformation
• Phylogeny
• RNA, Ribosomal