The complete mitochondrial genome and phylogenetic position of the Commissaris’s long-tongued bat Glossophaga commissarisi

Abstract

Well resolved phylogenetic relationships are fundamental to understanding species’ evolutionary history, but inferring robust phylogenies can be challenging. The mitochondrial genome has resulted a valuable resource to achieve higher phylogenetic resolution and support. The Commissarisis’s long-tongued bat (Glossophaga commissarisi) is a widely distributed nectar-feeding bat in the Americas, ranging from Mexico to Colombia and Peru. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the complete mitochondrial genome of the species to characterize its genomic structure, codon usage, and patterns of selection; and to determine its phylogenetic position within Phyllostomidae. We confirmed its phylogenetic position within the genus Glossophaga and the family Phyllostomidae. The mitogenome was a circular molecule with a total length of 16,648 bp, containing 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and one D-loop or control region (CR). The overall nucleotide composition was A = 32.18%, T = 29.63%, C = 23.97%, and G = 14.22%, with A + T content = 61.81% and G + C content of 38.19%. The phylogenetic tree reconstructed using the 13 PCGs included 61 taxa and recovered G. commissarisi as a sister species of G. leachii and a fully-supported clade (bv = 100) containing the genus Glossophaga. Our study provides a crucial genomic resource for the study of these bats and demonstrates the utility of complete mitogenomes in achieving well-resolved phylogenies for rapidly diversifying mammalian groups.