Phylogenetics of Asian Small-Clawed Otters (Aonyx cinereus) in West Sumatra

Background and Objective: The presence of Asian small-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus) in West Sumatra has been reported from ecological data in the form of footprints and feces, while its genetic information has not been reported yet. This genetic information needs to be reported along with the determination of A. cinereus as a vulnerable species and is experiencing population decline by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). This study aimed to determine the phylogenetic relationship of A. cinereus found in West Sumatra with other regions. Materials and Methods: The samples used were A. cinereus stool collected from several wetland locations in West Sumatra. Aonyx cinereus DNA was extracted from stool samples following the QIAamp Fast DNA Stool Mini Kit protocol (Qiagen). Amplification was performed using the CO1 gene. The IQTree was used to provide phylogenetic information on A. cinereus and MEGA 7 was used to determine the uncorrected genetic distance of A. cinereus. Results: Aonyx cinereus clustered to form three sub-clusters namely A. cinereus Sundaland, Laos lineage and unknown lineage. Aonyx cinereus Sundaland consists of A. cinereus West Sumatra and A. cinereus Sarawak, Malaysia which are closely related with a genetic distance of 0.68%. Moreover, compared to A. cinereus from unknown lineage (including Captive Copenhagen Zoo) and Laos lineage, A. cinereus of West Sumatra had a genetic distance of 0.68-1.20 and 4.18%, respectively. Conclusion: Wetland conversion and the role of humans have influenced the obstacle to connectivity among populations that cause genetic variation.