First description of the mitogenome of the endangered turtle Erymnochelys madagascariensis (Testudines: Podocnemididae) and its implications for conservation

Abstract

Erymnochelys madagascariensis is ranked first on the EDGE of Existence program’s list of priority reptiles. This species is the only living member of the family Podocnemididae found outside of South America. It has a unique evolutionary, as it is endemic to Madagascar. We present the first description of the complete mitogenome of the species. The assembled mitogenome is the third and the smallest described for the Podocnemididae. It has a length of 16,421bp, CG content of 38%, and presents 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs, 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) and one non-coding region. The gene order and CG content were similar to the mitogenome of the Podocnemis species. Selective pressure analysis indicated the PCGs were under purifying selection except for ATPase 8. The phylogenetic analysis of PCGs of Pleurodira revealed that Myuchelys is a polyphyletic group. Our study demonstrates that the complete mitogenome can be a useful tool to assess genetic diversity via the identification of haplotypes among natural populations and detection of introgression events. This information may have important implications for conservation, especially in designing and implementing protected breeding areas and contributing to programs withrestocking purposes.