A Mother’s Story, Mitogenome Relationships in the Genus <i>Rupicapra</i>
Laura Iacolina,
Elena Buzan,
Toni Safner,
Nino Bašić,
Urska Geric,
Toni Tesija,
Peter Lazar,
María Cruz Arnal,
Jianhai Chen,
Jianlin Han,
Nikica Šprem
Affiliations
Laura Iacolina
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Elena Buzan
Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
Toni Safner
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Nino Bašić
Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
Urska Geric
Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, 6000 Koper, Slovenia
Toni Tesija
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Peter Lazar
Department of Breeding and Diseases of Game, Fish and Bees, Ecology and Cynology, University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, Komenského 73, 04181 Košice, Slovakia
María Cruz Arnal
Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50013 Zaragoza, Spain
Jianhai Chen
Institutes for Systems Genetics, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
Jianlin Han
Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Beijing 100193, China
Nikica Šprem
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Although the two species of chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra and R. pyrenaica) 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we report novel de novo assembled sequences of the mitochondrial genome from nine individuals, including previously unpublished R. r. balcanica and R. r. tatrica subspecies, and use them to untangle the genus phylogeny.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 Caprinae. Phylogeny and taxonomy of Rupicapra species thus remain controversial prompting for the inclusion of archeological remains to solve the controversy.
