Let ${cal M}_{g,[n]}$, for $2g-2+n>0$, be the D-M moduli stack of smooth curves of genus $g$ labeled by $n$ unordered distinct points. The main result of the paper is that a finite, connected etale cover ${cal M}^l$ of ${cal M}_{g,[n]}$, defined over a sub-$p$-adic field $k$, is almost anabelian in the sense conjectured by Grothendieck for curves and their moduli spaces. The precise result is the following. Let $pi_1({cal M}^l_{ol{k}})$ be the geometric algebraic fundamental group of ${cal M}^l$ and let ${Out}^*(pi_1({cal M}^l_{ol{k}}))$ be the group of its exterior automorphisms which preserve the conjugacy classes of elements corresponding to simple loops around the Deligne-Mumford boundary of ${cal M}^l$ (this is the $ast$-condition motivating the almost above). Let us denote by ${Out}^*_{G_k}(pi_1({cal M}^l_{ol{k}}))$ the subgroup consisting of elements which commute with the natural action of the absolute Galois group $G_k$ of $k$. Let us assume, moreover, that the generic point of the D-M stack ${cal M}^l$ has a trivial automorphisms group. Then, there is a natural isomorphism: $${Aut}_k({cal M}^l)cong{Out}^*_{G_k}(pi_1({cal M}^l_{ol{k}})).$$ This partially extends to moduli spaces of curves the anabelian properties proved by Mochizuki for hyperbolic curves over sub-$p$-adic fields.
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