A Mother’s Story, Mitogenome Relationships in the Genus <i>Rupicapra</i>
2021
Laura Iacolina | Elena Buzan | Toni Safner | Nino Bašić | Urska Geric | Toni Tesija | Peter Lazar | María Cruz Arnal | Jianhai Chen | Jianlin Han | Nikica Šprem
Although the two species of chamois (<i>Rupicapra rupicapra</i> and <i>R. pyrenaica</i>) are currently classified as least-concern by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), inconsistencies on the subspecies classification reported in literature make it challenging to assess the conservation status of the single subspecies. Previous studies relying on mitochondrial genes, sometimes in combination with nuclear or Y-chromosome markers, reported the presence of clusters corresponding to the geographic distribution but highlighting ambiguities in the genus phylogeny. Here we report novel de novo assembled sequences of the mitochondrial genome from nine individuals, including previously unpublished <i>R. r. balcanica</i> and <i>R. r. tatrica</i> subspecies, and use them to untangle the genus phylogeny. Our results based on the full mitogenome inferred phylogeny confirm the previously reported genus subdivision in three clades and its monophyletic positioning within the <i>Caprinae.</i> Phylogeny and taxonomy of <i>Rupicapra</i> species thus remain controversial prompting for the inclusion of archeological remains to solve the controversy.
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