Abstract:
The aardwolf (Proteles cristata) is a unique, insectivorous species of the family Hyaenidae. It
occupies a disjunct range in eastern and southern Africa and is possibly a remaining
member of a historical dog-like hyaena clade. Although both local and global population
status and trends are largely unknown, aardwolves are not uncommon in arid grasslands
and the IUCN conservation status of Least Concern appears to be justified.However, they are
one of the least studied of the four hyaena species,and we have scarce information about the
genetic structure of aardwolf populations. Here, we present the first complete aardwolf
mitochondrial genomes and provide novel information about aardwolf evolutionary origins
and genetic structure within a single population. Through the investigation of complete
mitochondrial genomes from five individuals from a single population within South Africa,
we find the mitochondrial diversity of this population to be neither particularly high nor low
compared to a number of other mammalian species. Moreover, we also provide additional
evidence towards the basal position of the aardwolf within Hyaenidae with a divergence time
of 13.0 Ma (95% CI 10.1–16.4 Ma) from all other extant hyaena species.
