Characteristics of the complete mitochondrial genome of the monotypic genus Arctictis (Family: Viverridae) and its phylogenetic implications.

Siuli Mitra,Vaishnavi Kunteepuram,Klaus-Peter Koepfli,Wajeeda Tabasum,Ara Sreenivas,Neha Mehra,Ajay Gaur

doi:10.7717/peerj.8033

Siuli Mitra, Vaishnavi Kunteepuram + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8033

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Abstract

The binturong (Arctictis binturong) is classified as a member of the subfamily Paradoxurinae within the family Viverridae (Carnivora: Mammalia) and comprises nine subspecies spread across Southern and Southeast Asia. Here, we describe the complete mitochondrial genome of the Indian subspecies A. b. albifrons using next-generation sequencing methods. The total length of the A. b. albifrons mitogenome was 16,642 bp. Phylogenetic analyses based on 13 mitochondrial protein-coding genes placed the binturong as a sister taxon to Paguma larvata within the Paradoxurinae and supported the clustering of Genettinae and Viverrinae and the monophyly of Viverridae and six other families of feliforms, consistent with previous studies. Divergence time estimates suggest that the Viverridae diversified during the Miocene (22.62 Mya: 95% CI [20.78–24.54] Mya) and that Arctictis and Paguma split 12.57 Mya (95% CI [8.66–15.67] Mya). Further molecular studies are required to test the distinctiveness and diversity of the nine putative subspecies of binturong.

Highlights

Arctictis binturong (Raffles, 1822), commonly called binturong or bearcat, is the largest known member of the Viverridae (Carnivora: Mammalia) and is characterized by coarse, black fur and a prehensile tail (Pocock, 1933)
A blood sample of an individual identified as A. b. albifrons was collected and forwarded by the Veterinary Assistant Surgeon of the Sepahijala Zoo, Tripura (Vide Letter No F5(D)VD/Sep/Sl No 100-102, dated 19/07/2008) for DNA analysis, and deposited in the Genome Bank at the Laboratory for Conservation of Endangered Species, CCMB, Hyderabad, India
The assembly of the binturong mitogenome resulted in a total of 162 contigs with an N50 length of 1074 bp and the length of contigs ranging from 501 bp to 16,752 bp

Summary

Introduction

Arctictis binturong (Raffles, 1822), commonly called binturong or bearcat, is the largest known member of the Viverridae (Carnivora: Mammalia) and is characterized by coarse, black fur and a prehensile tail (Pocock, 1933). In forest ecosystems of Southeast Asia, the frugivorous binturong has co-evolved with fig trees to form a keystone relationship, wherein the animal facilitates and propagates seed germination while the fig tree provides a stable dietary source (Kinnaird & O’Brien, 2007). Binturongs are presently being poached for their meat, traditional medicines and the pet trade, and alongside habitat destruction, these factors have contributed to decreasing the numbers of binturong to a few geographical pockets across the species’ former range (Willcox et al, 2016). Characteristics of the complete mitochondrial genome of the monotypic genus Arctictis (Family: Viverridae) and its phylogenetic implications.

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