Crocodilian phylogeny inferred from twelve mitochondrial protein-coding genes, with new complete mitochondrial genomic sequences for Crocodylus acutus and Crocodylus novaeguineae

We report complete mitochondrial genomic sequences for Crocodylus acutus and Crocodylus novaeguineae, whose gene orders match those of other crocodilians. Phylogenetic analyses based on the sequences of 12 mitochondrial protein-coding genes support monophyly of two crocodilian taxonomic families, Alligatoridae (genera Alligator, Caiman, and Paleosuchus) and Crocodylidae (genera Crocodylus, Gavialis, Mecistops, Osteolaemus, and Tomistoma). Our results are consistent with monophyly of all crocodilian genera. Within Alligatoridae, genus Alligator is the sister taxon of a clade comprising Caiman and Paleosuchus. Within Crocodylidae, the basal phylogenetic split separates a clade comprising Gavialis and Tomistoma from a clade comprising Crocodylus, Mecistops, and Osteolaemus. Mecistops and Osteolaemus form the sister taxon to Crocodylus. Within Crocodylus, we sampled five Indopacific species, whose phylogenetic ordering is ((C. mindorensis, C. novaeguineae), (C. porosus, (C. siamensis, C. palustris))). The African species C. niloticus and New World species C. acutus form the sister taxon to the Indopacific species, although our sampling lacks three other New World species and an Australian species of Crocodylus.