First complete mitochondrial genome of Madras hedgehog decoded

Key facts

• The complete mitochondrial genome of the Madras hedgehog (Paraechinus nudiventris) was sequenced for the first time, yielding a 17,232-base-pair sequence with 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNAs and two rRNAs.
• The study ‘Mitochondrial genome of the lesser known Madras hedgehog: genomic characterization and comparative analysis within Erinacidae’ appeared in the peer-reviewed journal Mitochondrial DNA Part A.
• Researchers Brawin Kumar, Harald Meimberg and Thapasya Vijayan from BOKU University, Vienna, Austria, assembled and analysed the genome.
• DNA samples were collected from hedgehogs killed by vehicles across 62 km² in Thoothukudi district.
• Analysis shows the Madras hedgehog diverged from its sister species, the Indian hedgehog (Paraechinus micropus), about 3.69 million years ago during the late Pliocene to early Pleistocene.
• The species inhabits semi-arid plains, dry grasslands, thorn forests and rocky landscapes of southern India.