Molecular DNA systematic analyses of East Asian mammals: Sequence Variation of cytochrome b Gene and Control Region of Mitochondrial DNA of Common Otter, Lutra lutra lutra L. (Mammalia, Carnivora) from Korea

Sequences of cytochrome b gene and control region of mitochondrial DNA from Korean common otters (Lutra lutra lutra L.) were examined to provide the genetic information for the conservation of this subspecies. Two haplotypes and one haplotype were revealed in cytochrome b gene and control region, respectively. The available sequences of European common otter (L. l. lutra) from GenBank were compared together with those of Korean common otter in order to determine the degree of sequence variation between them. In cytochrome b gene sequences, two haplotypes from Korea and two haplotypes of Europe showed differences in 12 of 1,045 sites. The Tamura‐Nei nucleotide distances between two European haplotypes was 0.10% and those between two Korean haplotypes was also 0.10%, but those between Korean haplotypes and European ones ranged from 0.96% to 1.16%. In the control region, one Korean haplotype and seven European ones showed differences in seven of 300 sites; the Tamura‐Nei distances among seven European haplotypes were 0.34% to 1.01%, but those between Korean haplotype and European ones ranged from 1.01% to 1.69%. Although further molecular and morphological studies with specimens from eastern Asia including Amur region and northeast China are needed, it is possible that the Korean common otter might be closer or identical to the far‐eastern Asian common otter, L. I. amurensis Dybowski.