Affinities of the Canthonini dung beetles of the Eastern Arc mountains

Abstract

The Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM) consist of 13 separate mountain blocks running from southern Kenya through eastern Tanzania in an arc shape. Organisms occurring in the forests of these mountains are known for their high levels of endemism. Some of these organisms have their closest relatives in distant geographic regions. In this study, molecular phylogenetic methods, based on partial sequences of one nuclear (28S) and two mitochondrial (COI and 16S) genes, are used to determine the relationships of three Scarabaeinae genera (tribe Canthonini) endemic to the EAM. Janssensantus and Tanzanolus are found to have a sister relationship within a lineage of south-eastern African genera, while Madaphacosoma’s closest ties are with Oriental and Madagascan taxa Ochicanthon and Epactoides, respectively. Divergence time estimates suggest a Miocene origin for the ancestral lineages of the three genera with Janssensantus and Tanzanolus separating in the Pleistocene. Our results provide evidence for a Madagascan origin for the EAM genera.