Latest Articles from Zoosystematics and Evolution Latest 1 Articles from Zoosystematics and Evolution https://zse.pensoft.net/ Fri, 29 Mar 2024 02:49:37 +0200 Pensoft FeedCreator https://zse.pensoft.net/i/logo.jpg Latest Articles from Zoosystematics and Evolution https://zse.pensoft.net/ Mitochondrial characteristics of Pseudohynobius flavomaculatus a protected salamander in China, and biogeographical implications for the family Hynobiidae (Amphibia, Caudata) https://zse.pensoft.net/article/66578/ Zoosystematics and Evolution 98(2): 263-274

DOI: 10.3897/zse.98.66578

Authors: Yu Zhang, Meng Wang, Ruli Cheng, Yang Luo, Yingwen Li, Zhihao Liu, Qiliang Chen, Yanjun Shen

Abstract: Pseudohynobius flavomaculatus a provincially-protected salamander species, inhabits mountainous areas of Chongqing and surrounding provinces in China. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome of P. flavomaculatus was sequenced and analyzed. The mitogenome is 16,401 bp in length and consisted of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a control region. We performed a novel phylogenetic analysis, which demonstrated a sister relationship between P. flavomaculatus and P. jinfo. The 95% confidence interval around our new divergence date estimate suggest that Hynobiidae originated at 101.62–119.84 (mean=110.87) Ma. Species within Hynobiidae diverged successively in the Cenozoic era, and hynobiid speciation coincides primarily with geologic events. Our biogeographical inference demonstrates that nearly all early hynobiids divergences correspond to geological estimates of orogeny, which may have contributed to the notably high dN/dS ratio in this clade. We conclude that orogeny is likely a primary, dynamic factor, which may have repeatedly initiated the process of speciation in the family Hynobiidae.

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