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Pseudohynobius flavomaculatus a provincially-protected salamander species, inhabits mountainous areas of Chongqing and surrounding provinces in China. In the present study, the complete mitochondrial genome of P. flavomaculatus was sequenced and analyzed. The mitogenome is 16,401 bp in length and consisted of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, and a control region. We performed a novel phylogenetic analysis, which demonstrated a sister relationship between P. flavomaculatus and P. jinfo. The 95% confidence interval around our new divergence date estimate suggest that Hynobiidae originated at 101.62–119.84 (mean=110.87) Ma. Species within Hynobiidae diverged successively in the Cenozoic era, and hynobiid speciation coincides primarily with geologic events. Our biogeographical inference demonstrates that nearly all early hynobiids divergences correspond to geological estimates of orogeny, which may have contributed to the notably high dN/dS ratio in this clade. We conclude that orogeny is likely a primary, dynamic factor, which may have repeatedly initiated the process of speciation in the family Hynobiidae.

The Afghanistan Mountain Salamander, Paradactylodon (Afghanodon) mustersi (Smith, 1940), is an evolutionary old species, listed as Critically Endangered by IUCN Red List. The species is endemic to the Hindu Kush mountain range with records from only a few localities from four central-eastern Afghan provinces (Kabul, Ghazni, Parwan, and Wardak). Due to the long-term complicated political situation in the country which makes zoological research almost impossible, the current distribution and the presence of P. mustersi at previously known localities has remained unassessed for 40 years. We carried out recent, sporadic surveys between 2017 and 2021 to detect P. mustersi in three tributaries of the Paghman stream on the southern slopes of the Hindu Kush Mountains and the two nearby provinces (Panjsheer and Parwan), where the presence of the species was expected. We confirmed the occurrence of P. mustersi at all survey sites, and present the first record of the species for Panjsheer Province. We also confirmed that the species is currently endangered by human-mediated factors like habitat disturbance (increased visitors attendance, water pollution, construction activities), especially in the Paghman area.