The large (L) polymerase gene and the 5'-terminal UTR of the genome of peste des petits ruminants virus (PPRV), vaccine strain Nigeria 75/1, were cloned and sequenced. The L protein was also expressed in eukaryotic cells and its polymerase activity was quantitatively measured in a PPR reverse genetics assay using a reporter minigenome. Comparative sequence analysis of this functional L gene with corresponding genes of other morbilliviruses showed a degree of conservation exceeding 70%. The multiple sequence alignment and the phylogenetic study of L gene discriminated the morbilliviruses in 6 clusters, which are more closely related to Tupaia and Henipaviruses than to other paramyxoviruses. Important protein domains and functional motifs of the L polymerase of the PPRV Nigeria 75/1 vaccine were also identified by using different bioinformatics tools.