Evolution of mitochondrial-encoded cytochrome oxidase subunits in endothermic fish: The importance of taxon-sampling in codon-based models

While endothermy is ubiquitous in birds and mammals, it is not exclusive to these most recently arisen vertebrate classes. The ability to warm specific organs and/or tissues above ambient temperature (regional endothermy) has evolved at least three times in phylogentically discrete fish lineages: lamnid sharks (Lamnidae), tunas (Scombridae) and billfishes (Istiophoridae and Xiphidae). Given the links between endothermy and metabolic rate, we …