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Figure 9 | BMC Evolutionary Biology

Figure 9

From: The mammary gland-specific marsupial ELP and eutherian CTI share a common ancestral gene

Figure 9

Evolution of the ELP / CTI gene in therians. Tree depicting the relationship between the amniotes: birds, reptiles, monotremes, marsupials and eutherians [1, 3, 70, 71] and the distribution of the ELP/CTI gene. The divergence times used are based upon the analysis by Bininda-Emonds and colleagues [1]. Extant species which have a functional ELP/CTI gene are indicated by green tree branches. Extant species in which the ELP/CTI gene has not been detected are indicated by a red cross. Lineages on the tree for which the presence or absence of the ELP/CTI gene remains inconclusive are indicated by a red question mark. Based upon current analyses, the functional ELP/CTI gene evolved at least 130 million years ago (MYA) and has been retained by extant marsupials and the Laurasiatherian orders Cetartiodactyla and Carnivora. Whether the ELP/CTI gene is present in monotremes is unknown.

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