2.1. Sample collection
Tissue samples (Manta alfredi: n = 52 and M. birostris: n = 37)
were collected from four geographically separated regions
(Fig. 1). Additionally, outgroup taxa Mobula japanica, Mobula tarapacana,
and Mobula thurstoni (n = 2, 2, and 2, respectively) were
sampled from Indonesia. Supplementary material contains detailed
sample information (Appendix A).