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The mitochondrial genome of the Cinnamon Bittern, Ixobrychus cinnamomeus (Pelecaniformes: Ardeidae): sequence, structure and phylogenetic analysis

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Abstract

Ixobrychus cinnamomeus is a member of the large wading bird family, known as Ardeidae. In the present study, we determined the complete mitochondrial genome of I. cinnamomeus for use in future phylogenetic analysis. This circular mitochondrial genome is 17,180 bp in length and composed of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes and one putative control region. Three conserved domains and a minisatellite of 17 nucleotides with 22 tandem repeats were detected at the end of the control region. Phylogenetic relationships were reconstructed using the nucleotide and corresponding amino acid datasets of 12 concatenated protein-coding genes from the mitochondrial genome. Using maximum likelihood, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference methods, the monophyly of Ciconiidae, Ardeidae and Threskiornithidae were confirmed; however, the monophyly of traditional Ciconiiformes and Pelecaniformes failed to be recovered. Although further studies are recommended to clarify relationships among and within the orders of Ciconiiformes, Pelecaniformes, Suliformes and Phaethontiformes, our results provide preliminary exploratory results that can be useful in the current understanding of avian phylogenetics.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Binghua Li, Gabe Johnson, Chaoju Qian, Jian Yuan for assistance, suggestions, and comments. We greatly appreciate the constructive criticisms and suggestions by three anonymous reviewers. This study was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30870172) and the Key Lab of Biotic Environment and Ecology Safety in Anhui Province.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Provincial Key Laboratory of the Conservation and Exploitation Research of Biological Resources in Anhui, College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241000, China

    Liqin Zhang, Ming Wang, Xifeng Li & Xianzhao Kan

  2. College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China

    Li Wang

  3. Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, MRC-166, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC, 20013, USA

    Vinita Gowda

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  1. Liqin Zhang
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  2. Li Wang
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  3. Vinita Gowda
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  4. Ming Wang
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  6. Xianzhao Kan
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Correspondence to Xianzhao Kan.

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Liqin Zhang and Li Wang—Co-first author.

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Zhang, L., Wang, L., Gowda, V. et al. The mitochondrial genome of the Cinnamon Bittern, Ixobrychus cinnamomeus (Pelecaniformes: Ardeidae): sequence, structure and phylogenetic analysis. Mol Biol Rep 39, 8315–8326 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-012-1681-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-012-1681-1

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