New Mitogenome of the Hainan Mole Mogera hainana and Taxonomic Implications Based on Molecular Data

Abstract

The Hainan mole Mogera hainana was described as a full species by Thomas (1910), but its taxonomic status of this animal has been debated since then and remains controversial. In this study, we determined the mitochondrial genome of M. hainana. We also estimated its phylogenetic relationships using mitochondrial Cytb and nuclear Rag1 genes and conducted molecular species delimitation analyses using Bayesian Poisson tree processes, Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery, and Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning to determine the evolutionary position and putative taxonomic status of M. hainana. The mitogenome of M. hainana is 16 845 base pairs, composed of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs, and the control region. We further compared this sequence with those of other Mogera species. The phylogenetic trees support a sister relationship between M. hainana and M. kanoana and close relationships among M. hainana, M. kanoana, M. insularis, and M. latouchei. Species delimitation analyses suggest that M. hainana is distinct from other recognized species and thus is likely a distinct species.