Phylogeny of Charrs of the Genus Salvelinus Based on Mitochondrial DNA Data

Charrs of the genus Salvelinus (including Salvethymus) represent a monophyletic group of salmonid fishes that diverged from the common ancestor without subdivision into subgenera. The phylogenesis of the genus is characterized by four cycles of mitochondrial genome divergence. The first one, belonging to the Late Miocene-the border between Miocene and Pliocene (6 to 4 million years ago)-was associated with the consecutive divergence of the S. fontinalis, S. namaycush, S. levanidovi, and S. leucomaenis basal branches. Two divergence events, including separation of the ancestral lineage of Western Pacific group of S. m. krascheninnikovi and the following segregation of the common ancestor into two mitochondrial phyla, happened within the period of 3 to 2 million years ago. The next cycle is attributed to the time interval of about 1 million years ago and includes the divergence of both phyla. In one phylum, a relatively quick isolation of Arctic and Eastern Pacific phylogroups, along with the divergence of the latter phylogroup into S. confluentus and S. m. lordi lineages, took place. At the same time, the second phylum diverged into the S. m. malma and S. alpinus phylogenetic groups. At the final stage (Middle to Late Pleistocene), differentiation of the taxa within the phylogenetic groups took place.