Genetic Ancestry And Diversity Of South China Tiger And Molecular Identification Of Suspected Tiger Claw Sheath

As the tiger subspecies endemic to China, South China tiger (P.t.amoyensis) protection plays an important role.This research analysis genetic ancestry of tigers in south china through 3.2 kb mtDNA sequence,and assess genetic diversity with the captive South China tiger population ,and use Cyt b carnivora special primer to do species indentification for suspected tiger claw sheath from National Reserve of Chebaling in Guangdong province.The results were:1)compare of DNA extraction methods for different tiger issue to determine classical phenol - chloroform extraction plus DNA IQTM purification system kit for hides samples, the classical phenol - chloroform extraction for muscle samples, and PCR buffer method for hair samples and fecea samples.2)Comparison of sequence fragments of 3.2kb mtDNA, haplotype W3 of tigers from Hupingshan mountain and Yuelushan mountain in Hunan province and Pedigree numbered 333 tiger whose maternal origin is Pedigree numbered 26 tiger from Guizhou wild , was consistent with haplotype AMO1 from 2 South China tigers with the same maternal origin in Chongqing zoo according to Luo et al (2004) .the haplotype is quite different from haplotypes of other sub-species tigers. Those tell us that tigers from Hunan and Guizhou region is different from other sub-species tigers with the genetic characteristics, may represent real South China tiger population.3) This research analysised the genetic diversity of current captive population of the South China tiger by mtDNA and microsatellite markers . 10 tigers detected 4 haplotypes, haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity was 0.673±0.058 and 0.176%±.0021 %, Tajima's D neutral test got not significant negative result ; 8 microsatellite loci analysis got high allelic diversity and high heterozygosity, captive population of South China tiger shown low genetic diversity, inferred mainly due to the low number of founders, genetic drift and lineage bottlenecks.4)mtDNA Cyt b gene fragment of the suspected Panthera tigris claw sheath was amplified and sequenced.Sequences were aligned with the GenBank by BLAST software,it was identified as Ursus thibetanus ,it was the first discovery of Ursus thibetanus in National Reserve of Chebaling since the survey from 1992 to 1994.The results indicated that the ecological environment of Chebaling national nature reserve is being strengthened, and the black bear population is recovering.