Cladistic Analysis of the Family Viverridae (Carnivora) from China

A total of 88 variable osteological characters,31 external characters and 1 behavior character were found among the nine species of family Viverridae in China which belong to eight genus respectively.Ten cladograms were generated with tree lengths (TL) 106-136,consistency indices (CI) 0.581-0.660 and retention indices (RI) 0.610-0.714 using outgroup substitution method when the species Vulpes vulpes and Martes flavigula were combined as the outgroup or either of them as the sole outgroup alternatively.After using consensus techniques,we obtained four similar cladograms which were TL 41-136,CI 0.581-0.732 and RI 0.610-0.818.Evidendce is presented to support the following hypotheses:1)Prionodon pardicolor,Viverra zibetha and Veverricula indica form a monophyletic group.Its consistent with the traditinal taxonomy arrangement in which the three species belong to Viverrinae.2)Paradoxurus hermaphroditus,Paguma larvata and Arctictis binturong form a monophyletic group.Its consistent with the traditinal taxonomy arrangement in which the three species belong to Paradoxurinae.3)The clade of Herpestes javanicus and H.urva is the sister group of other species of Viverridae in China.The bootstrap tests support this outcome by 100%.Our result suggest that the mongoose should be arrange as a subfamily Herpestinae.4)Chrotogale owstoni is a highly specialized species owing to having several peculiar character status such as three incisive foramen.Its taxonomic position would be resolved as more species of the family Viverridae are included in future studies.