Whole mitochondrial genome phylogeny of Drosophilidae

A total of 241 mitochondrial genomes were assembled and annotated from the SRA database to reconstruct a mtDNA genome phylogeny for the genus Drosophila, the family Drosophilidae, and close relatives. The resulting mtDNA genome phylogeny is largely congruent with previous higher-level analyses of Drosophila species with the exception of the relationships between the melanogaster, montium, anannassae, saltans and obscura groups. Although relationships within these species groups are congruent between nuclear and mtDNA studies, the mtDNA genome phylogeny of the groups is different when compared to earlier studies. Monophyly of known species groups within the genus Drosophila are highly supported and, as in previous work, the genera Lordiphosa, Hirtodrosophila, Zaprionus and Scaptomya are all imbedded within the genus Drosophila. Incongruence and partitioned support analyses indicate that DNA sequences are better at resolving the phylogeny than their translated protein sequences. Such analyses also indicate that genes on the minus strand of the circular molecule (Lrrna, Srrna, ND4, ND4L and ND5) provide most of the support for the overall phylogenetic hypothesis.