PHYLOGENETIC INTERRELATIONSHIPS AND REDUCTIVE EVOLUTION IN NEOTROPICAL CHARACIDIIN FISHES (CHARACIFORMES, OSTARIOPHYSI)

摘要: —Miniaturization, which results in the presence of numerous apparently paedomorphic characters associated with reduced size, is a common phenomenon among neotropical fishes, over 85 miniature species distributed five major ordinal groups. Eleven are recognized as miniatures within Characidiinae, monophyletic subunit Characiformes. A reconstruction characidiin phylogeny used to analyze history miniaturization events. Former hypotheses origin characidiins rejected, underscoring need for phylogenetic frameworks study ontogenetic changes miniaturization. The 11 instances can be most parsimoniously attributed three independent events Characidiinae. Reductive comprise large proportion phylogenetically informative Characidiinae. In largest group miniatures, reductive represent more than half character state transformations affecting supraspecific relationships Elachocharax, Klausewitzia, Odontocharacidium and Microcharacidium . An analysis patterns distributions fails reject null hypothesis independence. distinction made between concepts independence, defined origination states from different (non-simultaneous) evolutionary events, correlation, association terminal taxa. Character correlation not sufficient criterion Hennig's auxiliary principle, according "presence apomorphous always reason suspecting kinship, their by convergence should assumed priori". High values expected result congruent distribution.