The first mitochondrial genome of a South America parthenogenetic lizard (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae)

The mitogenome of the South American parthenogenetic lizard Loxopholis percarinatum Muller, 1923 (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae), a uni-bisexual species complex, was recovered for three individuals from Rio Negro region, Amazonas, Brazil. The content and order of genes are typical for vertebrate mitochondrial genomes, and we recovered 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA, and two rRNA (12S and 16S), in addition to partial fragments of the Control Region. A maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis with mitogenomes of selected lizard families recovered L. percarinatum with Iphisa elegans Gray, 1851, the only other Gymnophthalmidae species available in GenBank.

Automated summary

This study analyzed the mitogenome of the South American parthenogenetic lizard Loxopholis percarinatum from the Rio Negro region in Brazil, finding typical vertebrate mitochondrial gene content and order. Additionally, a phylogenetic analysis placed L. percarinatum with the only other available species in GenBank from the Gymnophthalmidae family, Iphisa elegans.