Complete mitochondrial genome sequence for the somali wild ass Equus africanus somaliensis

Abstract

The Somali wild ass (Equus africanus somaliensis) is the world’s most endangered equid and listed as a critically endangered (CR) species by the IUCN red list of threatened animals. In this study, we first determined and described the complete mitochondrial genome of Somali wild ass. The circle genome is 16,663 bp in length, and contains 13 protein coding, 22 tRNA, two rRNA genes and one non-coding control region (D-loop). The overall base composition of the mitochondrial DNA is 32.4% for A, 25.7% for T, 28.8% for C, and 13.2% for G. The percentage of G + C content is 42%. This work provides fundamental molecular data, which will be useful for species identification, forensic genetics and further researches on genetic diversity and conservation of this vulnerable equid.