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Shantanu Kundu ¹, Kulendra Chandra Das ¹, Sankar Kumar Ghosh ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Biotechnology, Assam University, Silchar-788011, Assam, IN

Abstract

The purpose of DNA barcodes for the rapid and accurate identification of wild species is one of the satisfactory and promising applications in forensic sciences. Here we developed eight 598 by sequences of COI (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I) locus for the accurate identification of commercialized turtle samples collected from different markets of East and Northeast India.The studied samples were successfully identified as two subspecies of Lissemys punctata, namely, L. p. andersoni and L. p. punctata with their limited morphometric data and sequence allignment results (99%-100% with L. punctata) in both BLASTn and BOLD IDs. Further, the studied sequences revealed less nucleotide (1.5%) and amino acid (0.5%) variationas as well as minimal K2P divergence (0% - 1.5%) in both L. p. andersoni and L. p. punctata. Partial barcode sequences are not efficient to delineate the subspecies of L. punctata. This study validated that the use of partial COI marker could overcome the lack of mophometric data to achieve higher accuracy detection of any commercialized as well as forensic samples.

Keywords

Chelonians, Trionychids, Cytochrome Oxidase C Subunit I (COI), Subspecies, Forensic, Conservation.

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Shantanu Kundu ¹, Kulendra Chandra Das ¹, Sankar Kumar Ghosh ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Biotechnology, Assam University, Silchar-788011, Assam, IN

Abstract

Limited molecular examinations are sometimes difficult to differentiate 31 morphologically distinct Indian testudine species. Mitochondrial genes have recurrently been used as molecular markers in various productive evolutionary studies. The total 73 available barcode sequences (621bp) of testudine species were acquired from public database. The total nucleotide variation was found to be 293 positions but the amino acid variation was found in only 57 positions among the all turtle and tortoise species. The first codon position in Indian testudines was more GC bias (54%) compared to the other second and third codon position. The highest substitutions were found in Non polar group (0.03% - 16.17%) compared to the other groups, by checking their different codon positions. The minimum amino acids informative sites within the COI barcode sequences may be practicable for discriminating all Indian testudine species.

Keywords

Chelonians, Cytochrome Oxidase C Subunit I (COI), Amino Acid, Substitution.

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Sumantika Chatterjee ¹, John T. D. Caleb ¹, Kaomud Tyagi ¹, Shantanu Kundu ¹, Vikas Kumar ¹

Affiliations
1 Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata – 700053, West Bengal, IN

Abstract

Psechrus inflatus Bayer, 2012 previously known from China, is recorded for the first time in India. Partial sequence data of mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase (mtCOI) was generated and is submitted in BOLD.

Keywords

Assam, DNA Barcoding, mtCOI Gene, New Record, Taxonomy.

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Shantanu Kundu ¹, Vikas Kumar ¹, B. H. C. K. Murthy ², Kailash Chandra ¹

Affiliations
1 Zoological Survey of India, M - Bolck, New Alipore, Kolkata – 700053, West Bengal, IN
2 Western Ghat Regional Centre (WGRC), Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode – 673006, Kerala, IN

Abstract

The native species is the biological assets of a nation, however the non-native species is the threat for indigenous taxa. Thus, before describing any native or non-native species, it is required to thoroughly check the collateral information. As of now, many non-native species from different faunal group were invaded into the native eco-system and reported from India. In this study, we represent the check-list of non-native turtles and tortoises stored in National Zoological Collections of Zoological Survey of India to assure their taxonomic rank and distribution pattern. The list is enriched with the registration numbers, most recent species name, collection localities, conservation status, and other taxonomic information. This comparative data of 35 non-native turtles not only useful in taxonomic research, but also helpful to recognize the invasive species from India and quarantine regulation.

Keywords

Archival Specimens, Conservation, Ecosystem, Exotic Species, Taxonomy.

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Shantanu Kundu ¹, Vikas Kumar ¹, B. H. C. K. Murthy ², Kailash Chandra ¹

Affiliations
1 Zoological Survey of India, M - Bolck, New Alipore, Kolkata – 700053, West Bengal,, IN
2 Western Ghat Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode – 673006, Kerala, IN

Abstract

The archival zoological collections are the foundation of taxonomic nomenclature and systematics research. Name-bearing zoological collection of a species or subspecies and their comparative data often resolved many ambiguities in systematics, distribution patterns and other biological information. In this study, we revisited the sea turtles collections available at Zoological Survey of India and Indian Museum Gallery. The aimed study may reconcile the previous and present range distribution of this oldest faunal component in Indian waters. The detailed collateral data of the studied species would substantiate to know the actual range distribution, estimate the anthropogenic threats, and effect of climate change in estuarine eco-system, which helps in better conservation strategies.

Keywords

Conservation, Distribution, Marine Turtle, Museum Collections, Sea Turtles, Threatened Species.

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Shantanu Kundu ¹, Pallab Maity ¹, Anjum N. Rizvi ¹, Kaomud Tyagi ¹, Kailash Chandra ¹, Vikas Kumar ¹

Affiliations
1 Zoological Survey of India, M Block, New Alipore, Kolkata - 700053, IN

Abstract

approaches is poorly adopted for their proper conservation. The present study examined the commercialized turtles in northeast India and reported the presence of helminth parasites (nematodes and trematodes) in three highly threatened turtles, Nilssonia gangetica, Nilssonia nigrican, and Chitra indica. Both N. gangetica and N. nigricans have been found to be the first host records of the trematode, Astiotrema reniferum. Further, C. indica is a new host record for the trematode, Stunkardia dilymphosa, which assumed to be host specific suitability due to difference in body size. Additionally, the study highlighted the urgent need of enforcing the veterinary studi

Keywords

Testudines, Helminths, Northeast India, Conservation Management.

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Sanjeev K. Gupta ¹, Shantanu Kundu ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Zoology, The Institute of Integrated and Honors studies (IIHS), Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra-136119, Haryana, India, IN
2 Zoological Survey of India, Prani Vigyan Bhawan, M-Block, New Alipore, Kolkata-700053, India, IN

Abstract

Termites are an important group of social insects and are considered as ‘ecosystem engineers’ for their role in organic decomposition, maintaining soil fertility, and hydrological parameters. They contribute large biomass in nature and often become pests. They have different reproductive and non-reproductive castes in a colony. Processes of morpho-taxonomical analyses for species determination are well developed, yet face questions as the insects have diagnostic traits limited to some castes only. These taxonomic limitations have a bearing on ecological and pest management studies. Molecular identification poses to minimize this problem of morpho-taxonomy. Mitochondrial genome or DNA barcoding serves as an additional tool to delineate species and ascertain their relationships. Hence, a classical species determination approach combined with molecular markers and barcoding techniques promises to resolve the existing taxonomic problems and controversies.

Keywords

Blattaria, Morphology, Molecular systematics, Mitochondrial markers, Nuclear markers.

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Boni Amin Laskar ¹, Shantanu Kundu ², Rehanuma Sulthana ¹, Harikumar Adimalla ³, Deepa Jaiswal ¹, Kaomud Tyagi ², Vikas Kumar ², Kailash Chandra ¹

Affiliations
1 Freshwater Biology Regional Centre, Zoological Survey of India, Hyderabad − 500048, Telangana, IN
2 Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, M Block, New Alipore, Kolkata − 700053, West Bengal, IN
3 House No. 2-60, Village Turkapalle, Nalgonda − 508266, Telangana, IN

Abstract

The Kotumsar cave is situated in the Eastern Ghats and has been reported by the existence of 14 different organisms morphologically. To reassess the living taxa and hitherto unreported organisms, intervention of molecular tool is required to corroborate the exact faunal diversity. In the present study, we dealt with the environmental samples and opportunistically encountered living specimens from both deep and transition zones of the Kotumsar cave. The morphological and integrated approach confirmed the existence of Rhinolophus rouxii (Medellin et al., 2017) (bat), Kempiola shankari Sinha and Agarwal, 1977 (cricket), Heteropoda leprosa Simon, 1884 (spider). Further, the collected environmental DNA (eDNA) samples were successfully identified as Fejervarya pierrei (Dubois, 1975) (frog), Indoreonectes evezardi (Day, 1872) (fish), Metrocoris sp. (true bug), Barytelphusa cunicularis (Westwood, 1836) (crab), Trigoniulidae sp. (millipede), and Megascolecidae sp. (worm). Hence, the present investigation through combined approaches by both morphological and molecular data helps to add six more organisms to the faunal checklist of Kotumsar cave. The study also contributed the genetic information of cavernicoles in the global database from India. This genetic information would further help to pursuing other biological studies and adopt better conservation strategies of cave-dwelling organisms and restoration of the colligated ecosystem.

Keywords

Cave Fauna, Conservation, DNA Barcoding, Environmental DNA (eDNA), New Record

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Shantanu Kundu ¹, Hmar Tlawmte Lalremsanga ², Lal Biakzuala ², Kaomud Tyagi ³, Kailash Chandra ³, Vikas Kumar ¹

Affiliations
1 Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, M Block, New Alipore – 700053, Kolkata, IN
2 Developmental Biology and Herpetology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Mizoram University Aizawl – 796004, Mizoram, IN
3 Centre for DNA Taxonomy, Molecular Systematics Division, Zoological Survey of India, M Block, New Alipore – 700053, Kolkata

Abstract

The genetic information (mtCytb) of wide-spread Mock Viper, Psammodynastes pulverulentus is restricted to China and Myanmar. We collected the live individual of P. pulverulentus from Mizoram state in northeast India and generate the partial mtCytb data to affirm the morphology-based species identification. The generated DNA data showed 94.67% similarity with the sequences generated from Myanmar; however, 92.59% to 92.98% similarity with the sequences generated from China through BLAST results. In comparison with other recognized families and subfamilies of alethinophidian and scolecophidians snakes, the studied species depicted discrete clade in the Bayesian Inference (BI) analysis and closely related with the sister species Psammodynastes pictus. The haplotype network revealed distinct haplotype of P. pulverulentus collected from northeast India with 6.6% and 8.9% to 9.6% Kimura 2 parameter (K2P) genetic distance with the Burmese and Chinese collections respectively. The study elucidates the possible cryptic diversity of P. pulverulentus within its wide range distribution, which requires further large-scale attempts with more genetic information to adjudicate the actual diversity.

Keywords

Mimicry, Mitochondrial DNA, Ophidian, Phylogeny, Taxonomy.

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