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The complete chloroplast genome sequence of the Tertiary relict tree Zelkova serrata was reported in this study. The chloroplast genome is 158,875 bp in length with a typical angiosperm quantitative structure consisting of a large single copy (87,412 bp) and a small single copy (18,683 bp) separated by a pair of inverted repeat (26,390 bp). Genome annotation revealed a total of 129 genes comprising 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenomic analysis based on the whole plastomes indicated that Z. serrata and Z. schneideriana formed a well-supported monophyletic clade sister to genus Ulmus in Ulmaceae.

Saposhnikovia divaricata is traditional herbal medicine with a long history in China. We reported the complete chloroplast genome of S. divaricate using the next generation sequencing. A total of 115 unique genes were annotated, consisting of 81 protein coding genes, 30 tRNA and 4 rRNA. The overall AT content was 69.2%. The molecular phylogenetic tree reveals that S. divaricate is closely related to Peucedanum in tribe Selineae.

Melaleuca alternifolia is commonly known as the medicinal tea tree. The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence is 160,104 bp in length, with a quantitative molecule structure comprising two copies of inverted repeats (IRa and IRb) of 26,737 bp separated by a large single copy (LSC) of 88,151bp, a small single copy (SSC) of 18,479 bp. A total of 131 genes were identified including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, eight rRNA genes and two pseudogene (Ψycf1, ΨinfA), respectively. Phylogenomic analysis suggests that M. alternifolia is closely related to the rest species of Myrtaceae with strong bootstrap values.

Peucedanum praeruptorum is an important traditional herbal medicine unique to China. The complete chloroplast genome of P. praeruptorum was generated here using high-throughput sequencing. The plastome was 147,197 bp in size, which consisted of a pair of inverted repeats (IRs; 18,713 bp), a large single copy (LSC; 92,161 bp) and a small single copy (SSC; 17,610 bp). The GC content of the plastome was 37.6%, with 44.5%, 36.0%, and 31.1% in IRs, LSC, and SSC, respectively. A total of 128 genes were annotated, including 84 protein-coding genes, 35 tRNAs, eight rRNAs, and one pseudogene (Ψycf1). The phylogenomic analysis indicated that P. praeruptorum formed a monophyletic clade with Peucedanum japonicum.

The complete chloroplast (cp) genome sequence of an endangered tree species, Zelkova schneideriana, was first assembled and characterized based on Illumina pair-end sequencing. The cp genome is 158,991 bp in length, with a quantitative structure comprising a pair of inverted repeats (IRs) of 26,427 bp separated by a large single copy (LSC) of 87,424 bp, a small single copy (SSC) of 18,713 bp. A total of 129 genes were annotated including 84 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis based on the cp genomes indicates that Z. schneideriana is closely related to genus Ulums in Ulmaceae.

Glehnia littoralis is an important medicinal herb disjunctly distributed at sandy beaches in eastern Asia and western North America. The complete chloroplast genome sequence of G. littoralis is 147,552 bp in length and structurally divided into four distinct regions: two copies of inverted repeat of 18,365 bp separated by a large single copy (LSC) of 93,277 bp and a small single copy (SSC) of 17,545 bp. A total of 129 genes are annotated including 85 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA gene, and eight rRNA genes. Phylogenetic relationship revealed that G. littoralis is closely related to Angelica dahurica in Apiaceae.

Reproduction outcomes affect the population growth, especially for endangered species in ex-situ conservation. Alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster) is an endangered ungulate that is well-known for the musk secreted by adult males. Despite being captive for years, the reproduction outcome and the musk production of captive populations are not well documented; moreover their growth seems to be declining. To understand the characteristics in reproduction and musk secretion as well as the influential factors, we studied the litter size, parturition date, weaning success and newborns' sex ratio of 897 deliveries in captive alpine musk deer from 2008 to 2018. Additionally, we assessed the relationships between these traits with age and stud's musk secretion using generalized linear mixed modelling. We found that the seasonal parturition lasted for 70±17.86 days with a peak on June 22nd and there were more twins (49.3%) born than singletons (41%) with a female-biased secondary sex ratio. Twinning probability, weaning success and parturition date differed significantly among years, while female age affected positively both twinning probability and parturition date as senile females had late parturition with a tendency to have twins. However, age of males or musk secretion did not affect twinning probability or parturition date, studs with higher musk secretion contributed to a male-biased reproduction, resulting from better body condition and sexual attractiveness. The results enhance our zoological understanding of this endangered species, for which reproduction outcome can be predicted by monitoring maternal age and musk secretion of stud musk deer. Further, our findings have practical implications as they provide a basis for improving musk deer conservation and captive management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]