Molecular investigation of non-volant endemic mammals through mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from Andaman and Nicobar archipelago

Abstract

The shrews, Crocidura andamanensis, Crocidura nicobarica (order Eulipotyphla), and treeshrew, Tupaia nicobarica, (order Scandentia) are highly threatened mammals; endemic to Andaman and Nicobar archipelago. The aimed study provides the first baseline mitochondrial cytochrome b (mtCytb) genetic information of Crocidura and Tupaia species from Andaman and Nicobar Island. The mtCytb data were well discriminated against to all three studied species from their congeners with sufficient genetic distance. Crocidura andamanensis showed less genetic distance (13%) with Crocidura grayi, while high (21.3%) with Crocidura phuquocensis. Besides, the C. nicobarica showed less distance (5.5%) with Crocidura vosmaeri and Crocidura beccarii, while high (19%) with C. phuquocensis. Both C. andamanensis and C. nicobarica also depicted a 15.6% genetic distance with each other. Further, the treeshrew species T. nicobarica is apparently discriminated by other congeners with a sufficient genetic distance ranging from 8.8 to 25.5%. The maximum-likelihood (ML) topology distinctly discriminated against all the shrews and treeshrews species with significant bootstrap supports. The aimed study fortifies the efficacy of mtCytb gene to segregate the above discussed non-volant mammal species. We recommended the widespread noninvasive sampling and genotyping to elucidate the population structure, which assists to formulate the precise conservation measures to protect these unique mammals.

Keywords:

• Mammals
• threatened taxa
• endemic
• cytochrome b gene
• phylogeny

Acknowledgments

The authors are thankful to the Director, Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Govt. of India for providing necessary facilities, constant support, and encouragement throughout the study. We also thank all team members of the Great Nicobar expedition for survey and sampling.

Author contributions

S.K., V.K., and K.C. conceived and designed the experiment. M.K., C.V., and C.S. collected the specimens, performed taxonomic identification, and captured photographs. K.C., V.K., and K.T. contributed to chemicals and laboratory facilities. K.T., and S.K. generated molecular data and data acquisition. S.K., K.T., and V.K. analyzed the data and prepared figures. S.K., K.T., and M.K. wrote the draft manuscript. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

We acknowledge the financial support for this work from the core funding of Zoological Survey of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Govt. of India. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis or preparation of the manuscript.