Phylogenetic relationship among slender loris species (Primates, Lorisidae: Loris) in Sri Lanka based on mtDNA CO1 barcoding

Abstract

Materials and methods 2.1. Study area, sampling, and ethical clearance Fifty-six live slender lorises were captured from 7 different forest regions to represent the 7 nominal groups suggested by Gamage et al. (2017). The loris species found in Sri Abstract: There are 2 species of slender lorises found in Sri Lanka: the red slender loris, Loris tardigradus (Linnaeus, 1758), endemic to the wet zone and montane areas, and the grey slender loris, Loris lydekkerianus (Cabrera, 1908), which is widespread. In addition, currently there are 2 subspecies recognized for each of these 2 slender loris species of Sri Lanka. Yet their taxonomy, evolutionary history, and biogeography are still poorly understood, and there are some preliminary data suggesting the presence of other subspecies. In this study, we have analysed the partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene sequence of 21 Loris specimens collected from 7 different regions in Sri Lanka. The phylogenetic tree reconstructed based on the neighbour joining method and Bayesian approach revealed 2 clades with high branch supports (>60%), consistent with the 2 slender loris species. Moreover, the samples within the Loris lydekkerianus clade were divided into 3 taxa and the samples within the Loris tardigradus clade were divided into 4 taxa, all consistent with the 7 sampling zones. The results of the study have provided the first DNA barcoding analysis on slender lorises in Sri Lanka to resolve phylogenetic relationships. Further studies on Loris are necessary for decoding their taxonomic issues in Sri Lanka.

Genetic Relationship and Evolution Analysis among Malus Mill Plant Populations Based on SCoT Molecular Markers

“…Genetic marker is an easily recognizable manifestation of biological genotype. With the understanding of gene from phenomenon to essence, genetic marker has gradually developed from simple morphological marker, cytological marker and biochemical marker to DNA molecular marker which can directly reflect genetic polymorphism at the DNA level [7].Scot (start codon targeted polymorphism) marker is a new marker method created by Collard and others in rice. This marker is not only highly polymorphic, but also convenient to operate.…”