The phylogenetic history of New World monkey β globin reveals a platyrrhine β to δ gene conversion in the atelid ancestry

Orthologues of the β globin gene locus from 10 New World monkey species were sequenced and aligned against available β and δ globin sequences from rabbit and other primates. Where needed, additional primate sequencing was performed. Phylogenetic analysis identified a β to δ conversion in the stem of the Anthropoidea, stretching from the 3′ part of the proximal promotor to the 5′ start of intron 2, consistent with earlier findings. No further conversion appeared to have occurred in the descent of the catarrhines. Within the New World monkey lineage that led to spider monkey and other atelids, another shorter gene conversion was found, spanning adjacent parts of exon 1 and intron 1. The analysis also confirmed that galago β had replaced galago δ, that an earlier loriform-specific gene conversion extended over intron 2, and that gene conversion throughout the main gene conversion region occurred in the tarsiiform lineage. Platyrrhine phylogenetic relationships were investigated with β sequences restricted to those that were not involved in gene conversions. This phylogeny generally agreed with results from other nuclear genes. The one exception was that the β sequences did not place the callitrichine clade within the Cebidae but weakly joined the callitrichine and atelid clades.