Mitogenome of the little owl Athene noctua and phylogenetic analysis of Strigidae

Abstract New advances in molecular approaches for DNA analysis have enhanced our understanding of the phylogenetic relationship of birds. The Little Owl (Athene noctua) is of great significance for the integrated management of forest diseases and control of regional pests. Here, we sequenced and annotated the 17,772 bp complete mitogenome of A. noctua. The mitogenome encoded 37 typical mitochondrial genes: 13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA, and one non-coding control region (D-loop). The organization and location of genes in the A. noctua mitogenome were consistent with those reported for other Strigidae birds. Phylogenetic relationships based on Bayesian inference and Maximum likelihood methods showed that A. noctua has close relationships with Athene brama and Glaucidium cuculoides, confirming that A. noctua belongs to the Strigidae family. The phylogenetic relationships among seven genera of the Strigidae family used in this study were: Ninox and the other six genera were far apart, Otus and the clade ((Bubo + Strix) + Asio) were clustered into one branch, and Athene and Glaucidium were clustered into one branch. This phylogenetic classification is consistent with prior taxonomic studies on the Strigidae family. Our results provide new mitogenomic data to support further phylogenetic and taxonomic studies of Strigidae.