Complete Mitochondrial Genomes of Spotted Forest Musk Deer (Moschus berezovskii) from Huanglong Mountain, Shaanxi, China, and Phylogenetic Analysis of Moschidae.

Musk deer (Moschidae), a primitive lineage within Ruminantia, are distributed across East Asia and have long been of interest in molecular phylogenetic research. The spotted forest musk deer from Huanglong (HL) Mountain in Shaanxi, China, has long been morphologically classified as Moschus moschiferus (Siberian musk deer). However, its true taxonomic status has remained uncertain due to the lack of comprehensive molecular evidence. Moreover, studies on mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) variation within Moschidae, particularly at the intraspecific level, remain limited. To date, few phylogenetic analyses of Moschidae have incorporated all available complete mitochondrial genomes from public databases. In this study, we sequenced and assembled the complete mitogenomes of two spotted musk deer individuals from Huanglong Mountain, Shaanxi, China, and identified them as M. berezovskii (forest musk deer) by phylogenetic analysis. All available complete mitochondrial genomes of Moschidae were also included in the phylogenetic reconstruction. The average complete mitogenome length of M. berezovskii distributed in HL was 16,355 bp, and comprises 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes, and 22 transfer RNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis and genetic distance indicate that the taxonomic identity of the HL Mountain population as M. berezovskii supports the monophyly of M. berezovskii and provides a robust phylogenetic framework for clarifying evolutionary relationships within the family.