Molecular characterization of some drosophilid species from biodiversity rich Uttarakhand state of India

Abstract

Uttarakhand state in Central Himalayan region of India, bestowed with varied ecological habitats ranging from near tropics to the mid-elevation forests dominated by cool-temperate taxa; is truly a drosophilid biodiversity hotspot. With more than 90 species reported so far from the state and several new to science, it could definitely be a potential arena for systematics, cytogenetics and evolutionary biology research. Though, in past some researchers have worked towards exploration of drosophilid diversity, they have mainly concentrated their efforts on taxonomic data-basing and other research implications have largely been neglected. This work is the first earnest attempt towards mitochondrial DNA based molecular characterization of some drosophilid species inhabiting Garhwal region of Uttarakhand. Molecular data and sequence analysis of mtCOII region is provided here, which would help in resolving taxonomic ambiguities between closely related sibling species and strengthen the drosophilid taxonomic database of the region.