Meeting Abstract
Ancient DNA from a Holocene crocodile specimen of Voay (Crocodylus) robustus from Madagascar was used to examine the phylogenetic placement of this species within extant crocodilians. This species was recently separated from Crocodylus and placed in its own genus, Voay (Brochu 2007) based on similarities in cranial features shared with genus Osteolaemus, the African dwarf crocodile. The species’ phylogenetic position is particularly interesting with respect to the recency and circumstances of its extinction, which appears to be coincident with the arrival in Madagascar of both humans and the extant Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus). DNA derived from subfossil material was used to create a library for next generation sequencing using whole genome enrichment and sequence capture. A phylogenetic analysis of the mitogenome was used to place the extinct species within the order.
