Analysis of the mitochondrial genome of the Indian darter, Anhinga melanogaster, suggests a species status taxonomic rank.

BACKGROUND: Anhinga melanogaster is a carnivorous water bird native to many Asian countries. A. melanogaster is part of the Old World clade of darters. There is currently significant debate about the organization of the Old World clade due to morphological and genetic ambiguities. It is essential to establish the taxonomic status of A. melanogaster because it was recently listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as a near threatened species. METHODS AND RESULTS: The present study utilized a comprehensive molecular approach of the complete mitogenome of A. melanogaster to resolve its taxonomic status within the genus Anhinga. The mitogenome of A. melanogaster comprised of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and a control region. A partially duplicated cytochrome b gene and control region were also present. CONCLUSIONS: Duplicated mitogenomic segments and phylogenetic analyses suggest that A. melanogaster, A. novaehollandiae, A. rufa and A. anhinga should be considered distinct species within the Old World clade of darters. The present study provides new insights into the mitogenome features of A. melanogaster and its evolutionary relationship within the genus, Anhinga.

Genetic diversity and maternal lineages of south Indian goats.

In India, goats are considered to be one of the important livestock species that reinforce the rural economy. Even though India has 23 well-recognized goat breeds, the knowledge about their genetic diversity and domestication history is limited. In this study, we have analyzed the genetic diversity of 104 goats representing five different south Indian breeds using mtDNA D-loop region. The haplotype diversity of the breeds ranged from 0.9524 ± 0.0403 (Malabari) to 0.9921 ± 0.0154 (Kanni aadu). Analysis of molecular variance showed only 1.05% variation among breeds. On other hand, the variation within breed was remarkably high (98.95%) which suggested the weak phylogeographic structure of south Indian goats. The phylogenetic analysis revealed three haplogroups representing maternal lineages namely A, B and D. The analysis of 466 Indian goat sequences showed an additional lineage C. As reported in the previous studies, a major fraction of analyzed goats fell into haplogroup A. Our study confirms the presence of three maternal lineages for south Indian domestic goats.

Genetic diversity and relationship of Indian Muscovy duck populations.

Assessment of genetic diversity within and between populations is a prerequisite for sustainable utilization of domestic species. The domestic Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) is an economically important species around the world for its unique meat taste and low-caloric content. It is one of the important domestic species in India as it ensures food security to the rural sectors. In this study, we have analyzed the genetic diversity and relationship of four Muscovy duck populations collected from different states (Assam, Mizoram, Odisha and Kerala) of India using mtDNA cytochrome b and nuclear DNA CYP2U1 genes. The results showed low genetic diversity among populations for both the genes. Kerala population showed significant genetic differences from the other three populations. The median joining network of cytochrome b gene suggested that the domestic Muscovy ducks present in India are the product of a single domestication event and probably introduced to India several years ago, as reported elsewhere. This study has also showed the suitability of nuclear DNA CYP2U1 gene in genetic diversity analysis.