Complete mitochondrial genomes of the white-browed piculet (Sasia ochracea, Picidae) and pale-billed woodpecker (Campephilus guatemalensis, Picidae)

Abstract

The mitochondrial genome of the white-browed piculet Sasia ochracea (Piciformes, Picidae) and the pale-billed woodpecker Campephilus guatemalensis (Piciformes, Picidae) were sequenced using a mixed strategy of Sanger and next-generation sequencing methods. The size of the circular mitochondrial genomes were 16 908 and 16 856 bp, respectively, and include 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer tRNAs, 2 ribosomal RNAs, a control region and a reduced pseudo control region. The functional control region was located between the tRNA_Thr and tRNA_Pro, as found in the two other Piciformes for which complete mtDNA data are available. The length of the pseudo-control region in the white-browed piculet (103 bp) and pale-billed woodpecker (87 bp) is similar to the size of that region in Dryocopus pileatus (60 bp) and much shorter that the length of this region in Pteroglossus azara (1493 bp), suggesting that size reduction occurred before the last common ancestor of the piculets and woodpeckers.

• Mitochondrial genome size
• pale-billed woodpecker
• pseudo-control region
• white-browed piculet

Acknowledgements

The Phongsaly Forest Conservation and Rural Development Project are thanked for their assistance in organizing fieldwork in Laos. We would also like to thank A. Cibois, M. Ruedi and R. Kirsch for help during field work, A. Cibois for providing the Campephilus guatemalensis sample and A. Dettai for help with laboratory protocols.

Declaration of interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. This work was funded by the Action Transversale du MNHN “Biodiversité actuelle et fossile. Crises, stress, restaurations et panchronisme: le message systématique”.

Supplementary materials online only – For review only at proofing stage.