First complete mitochondrial genomes of molossid bats

ISSN: 2380-2359

First complete mitochondrial genomes of molossid bats (Chiroptera: Molossidae)

Vanessa A. Mata, Francisco Amorim,
Antonio Guillén-Servent, Pedro Beja • Hugo Rebelo

Abstract

Bats represent around one-fourth of the world’s mammals and their taxonomy is still controversial. Molossids are one of the most diverse bat families with a wide knowledge gap. In this study, we report the first complete mitochondrial genomes of three molossid bats: the European free-tailed bat Tadarida teniotis, the La Touche’s free-tailed bat Tadarida latouchei, and the Wrinkle-lipped free-tailed bat Chaerephon plicatus. ... View full abstract

The mitogenomes are 16,869 and 16,784 bp long for T. teniotis and T. latouchei, respectively, while in C. plicatus it is at least 16,216 bp although the control region was not fully recovered due to its higher divergence from T. teniotis. The genomes show conserved synteny with other mammalian mitogenomes, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and 1 control region (d-loop). All protein-coding genes start with the ATG start codon, except for ND2, ND3, and ND5 which begin with ATA or ATT. Eleven protein-coding genes terminated in a canonical stop codon, TAA or TAG, two contain incomplete stop codons, T or TA. Cytochrome b terminates in the mitochondria-specific stop codon AGA. These mitogenomes provide a valuable resource for future studies of Molossidae and other bat and mammal species.

Species delimitation of the blue-spotted spiny lizard within a multilocus

Molecular Phylogenetics and
Evolution 111 (2017) 185–195

Species delimitation of the blue-spotted spiny lizard within a multilocus, multispecies coalescent framework, results in the recognition of a new Sceloporus species

Brenda Díaz-Cárdenas • Eduardo Ruiz-Sanchez
Patricia Castro-Felix • Gamaliel Castañeda-Gaytán
Sergio Ruiz-Santana • Héctor Gadsden

Abstract

Species delimitation is a major topic in systematics. Species delimitation methods based on molecular data have become more common since this approach provides insights about species identification via levels of gene flow, the degree of hybridization and phylogenetic relationships. Also, combining multilocus mitochondrial and nuclear DNA leads to more reliable conclusions about species limits. ... View full abstract

Coalescentbased species delimitation methods explicitly reveal separately evolving lineages using probabilistic approaches and testing the delimitation hypotheses for several species. Within a multispecies, multilocus, coalescent framework, we were able to clarify taxonomic uncertainties within S. cyanostictus, an endangered lizard that inhabits a narrow strip of the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico. We included, for the first time in a phylogenetic analysis, lizards from the three populations of S. cyanostictus recognized so far (East Coahuila, West Coahuila and Nuevo León). Phylogenetic analysis corroborates the hypothesis of two separately evolving lineages, i.e. the East and West Coahuila populations, as proposed in a previous study. We also found a distant phylogenetic relationship between the lizards from Nuevo León and those of East and West Coahuila. Finally, based on the species delimitation results, we propose and describe a new species of Sceloporus: S. gadsdeni sp. nov.