Decoding the first mitogenomes of Polycelis (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida, Planariidae): genomic architecture, evolutionary dynamics, and phylogenomic implication.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The genus Polycelis is characterized by the arrangement of multiple eye spots along the anterior dorsal margin of the head. These freshwater planarians are predominantly distributed in high-altitude ecosystems of temperate and subarctic zones across the Northern Hemisphere. Despite their significance as ecological bioindicators and models for regeneration, Polycelis remains controversial in taxonomy and phylogeny due to a critical lack of molecular data. Mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) have emerged as powerful tools for resolving deep phylogenetic relationships and species boundaries in morphologically conserved taxa. In this study, we present the first comparative mitogenomic analyses of four Polycelis species and phylogenetic reconstructions within Tricladida.

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SUBMITTER: Li N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12870015 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature