What is the taxonomic status of East Asian otter species based on molecular evidence?: focus on the position of the Japanese otter holotype specimen from museum
The Japanese otter (Lutra nippon), once inhabited in most islands of Japan, is now considered as an extinct species. Although the Japanese otter is regarded as a distinct species from the Eurasian otter (L. lutra), its phylogeny and taxonomic status are based on limited information on morphological...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Taylor & Francis Group
2019-05-01
|
| Series: | Animal Cells and Systems |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19768354.2019.1601133 |
| _version_ | 1818037421786267648 |
|---|---|
| author | Han-Chan Park Nozomi Kurihara Kyung Seok Kim Mi-Sook Min Sungyong Han Hang Lee Junpei Kimura |
| author_facet | Han-Chan Park Nozomi Kurihara Kyung Seok Kim Mi-Sook Min Sungyong Han Hang Lee Junpei Kimura |
| author_sort | Han-Chan Park |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Japanese otter (Lutra nippon), once inhabited in most islands of Japan, is now considered as an extinct species. Although the Japanese otter is regarded as a distinct species from the Eurasian otter (L. lutra), its phylogeny and taxonomic status are based on limited information on morphological and genetic data, and thus further clarification is required. Here, we assessed the phylogenetic relationship among the genus Lutra and taxonomic status of L. nippon by using the complete sequences of cytochrome b gene of its holotype. The present phylogenic trees supported that the genus Lutra specimens largely formed monophyletic group, with L. sumatrana as a basal to other Lutra species. Within Lutra species, L. nippon was distantly related with L. lutra. The European otter population of L. l. lutra were clustered together with its subspecies, L. l. chinensis rather than the same subspecies, Korean otter population. The discrepancy between the genetic data and traditional taxonomy justifies the necessity of reexamination of the current subspecific classification system of Eurasian otters. Level of genetic divergence between the holotype of L. nippon and L. lutra was two to three-fold lower than those among the other sister species of the Lutrinae. Based on the level of divergence between the L. nippon and L. lutra, and insufficient evidence of morphological difference between them, it is suggested that designation of Japanese otter as a separate species from L. lutra will be reconsidered. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:26:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9e7f416cbe904548b5af2bb3a5ea298b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1976-8354 2151-2485 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T07:26:35Z |
| publishDate | 2019-05-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Animal Cells and Systems |
| spelling | doaj.art-9e7f416cbe904548b5af2bb3a5ea298b2022-12-22T01:57:41ZengTaylor & Francis GroupAnimal Cells and Systems1976-83542151-24852019-05-0123322823410.1080/19768354.2019.16011331601133What is the taxonomic status of East Asian otter species based on molecular evidence?: focus on the position of the Japanese otter holotype specimen from museumHan-Chan Park0Nozomi Kurihara1Kyung Seok Kim2Mi-Sook Min3Sungyong Han4Hang Lee5Junpei Kimura6Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National UniversityYamaguchi UniversityIowa State UniversityResearch Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National UniversityKorean Otter Research CenterResearch Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National UniversityCollege of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National UniversityThe Japanese otter (Lutra nippon), once inhabited in most islands of Japan, is now considered as an extinct species. Although the Japanese otter is regarded as a distinct species from the Eurasian otter (L. lutra), its phylogeny and taxonomic status are based on limited information on morphological and genetic data, and thus further clarification is required. Here, we assessed the phylogenetic relationship among the genus Lutra and taxonomic status of L. nippon by using the complete sequences of cytochrome b gene of its holotype. The present phylogenic trees supported that the genus Lutra specimens largely formed monophyletic group, with L. sumatrana as a basal to other Lutra species. Within Lutra species, L. nippon was distantly related with L. lutra. The European otter population of L. l. lutra were clustered together with its subspecies, L. l. chinensis rather than the same subspecies, Korean otter population. The discrepancy between the genetic data and traditional taxonomy justifies the necessity of reexamination of the current subspecific classification system of Eurasian otters. Level of genetic divergence between the holotype of L. nippon and L. lutra was two to three-fold lower than those among the other sister species of the Lutrinae. Based on the level of divergence between the L. nippon and L. lutra, and insufficient evidence of morphological difference between them, it is suggested that designation of Japanese otter as a separate species from L. lutra will be reconsidered.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19768354.2019.1601133Cytochrome b genemitochondrial DNAphylogenetic analysisLutra lutraLutra nippon |
| spellingShingle | Han-Chan Park Nozomi Kurihara Kyung Seok Kim Mi-Sook Min Sungyong Han Hang Lee Junpei Kimura What is the taxonomic status of East Asian otter species based on molecular evidence?: focus on the position of the Japanese otter holotype specimen from museum Animal Cells and Systems Cytochrome b gene mitochondrial DNA phylogenetic analysis Lutra lutra Lutra nippon |
| title | What is the taxonomic status of East Asian otter species based on molecular evidence?: focus on the position of the Japanese otter holotype specimen from museum |
| title_full | What is the taxonomic status of East Asian otter species based on molecular evidence?: focus on the position of the Japanese otter holotype specimen from museum |
| title_fullStr | What is the taxonomic status of East Asian otter species based on molecular evidence?: focus on the position of the Japanese otter holotype specimen from museum |
| title_full_unstemmed | What is the taxonomic status of East Asian otter species based on molecular evidence?: focus on the position of the Japanese otter holotype specimen from museum |
| title_short | What is the taxonomic status of East Asian otter species based on molecular evidence?: focus on the position of the Japanese otter holotype specimen from museum |
| title_sort | what is the taxonomic status of east asian otter species based on molecular evidence focus on the position of the japanese otter holotype specimen from museum |
| topic | Cytochrome b gene mitochondrial DNA phylogenetic analysis Lutra lutra Lutra nippon |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19768354.2019.1601133 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hanchanpark whatisthetaxonomicstatusofeastasianotterspeciesbasedonmolecularevidencefocusonthepositionofthejapaneseotterholotypespecimenfrommuseum AT nozomikurihara whatisthetaxonomicstatusofeastasianotterspeciesbasedonmolecularevidencefocusonthepositionofthejapaneseotterholotypespecimenfrommuseum AT kyungseokkim whatisthetaxonomicstatusofeastasianotterspeciesbasedonmolecularevidencefocusonthepositionofthejapaneseotterholotypespecimenfrommuseum AT misookmin whatisthetaxonomicstatusofeastasianotterspeciesbasedonmolecularevidencefocusonthepositionofthejapaneseotterholotypespecimenfrommuseum AT sungyonghan whatisthetaxonomicstatusofeastasianotterspeciesbasedonmolecularevidencefocusonthepositionofthejapaneseotterholotypespecimenfrommuseum AT hanglee whatisthetaxonomicstatusofeastasianotterspeciesbasedonmolecularevidencefocusonthepositionofthejapaneseotterholotypespecimenfrommuseum AT junpeikimura whatisthetaxonomicstatusofeastasianotterspeciesbasedonmolecularevidencefocusonthepositionofthejapaneseotterholotypespecimenfrommuseum |