The published complete mitochondrial genome of Blue-fronted Redstart (Phoenicurus frontalis) is a chimera and includes DNA from Pink-rumped Rosefinch Carpodacus waltoni eos (Aves: Passeriformes)

Abstract

The complete mitochondrial genome of Blue-fronted Redstart (Phoenicurus frontalis), GenBank accession number MT360379 (NC_053917), was published by Li and colleages in 2020. Here we show that this mitogenome is actually a chimera containing DNA fragments of both P. frontalis (15,518 bp, 92.5%) and Pink-rumped Rosefinch (Carpodacus waltoni eos, 1258 bp, 7.5%). This mitogenome has been re-used in at least three phylogenies. Our study confirms that mitogenomes are best verified with multiple gene trees, and that any anomalies should be investigated by direct comparison of sequences.

Keywords

• Chimerism
• laboratory errors
• mitogenome
• sequence artifacts
• Muscicapidae