Uncovering the magnitude of African pangolin poaching with extensive nanopore DNA genotyping of seized scales

• DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14162
• Publication Date: 2023-08-08T10:41:11Z
• Authors: Darren Yeo; Amy H. J. Chan; Kum Chew Hiong; Jasmine Ong; Jun Yuan Ng; Jie Min Lim; Wendy Zhang; Sara R. Lim; Charlene J. Ferna...; Anna M‐S. Wong; Benjamin P. Y‐H. Lee; Max D. Y. Khoo; Thaddaeus X. W. C...; Bryan T. M. Lim; Hazelina H. T. Yeo; Maxine M. Q. Tan; Wendy B. G. Sng; Shaun S. Adam; Wee Foong Ang; Choon Beng How; Renhui Xie; Samuel K. Wasser; Kristen N. Finch; Adrian H. B. Loo; Him Hoo Yap; Chee Chiew Leong; Kenneth B. H. Er
• Keywords: Pangolin; DNA Barcoding; Poaching

Trade in pangolins is illegal, and yet tons of their scales products are seized at various ports. These large seizures challenging to process comprehensively genotype for upstream provenance tracing species identification prosecution. We implemented a scalable DNA barcoding pipeline which rapid extraction MinION sequencing were used substantial proportion pangolin subsampled from 2 record shipments Singapore 2019 (37.5 t). reference sequences match the phylogeographical regions origin. In total, we identified 2346 cytochrome b (cytb) barcodes white-bellied (Phataginus tricuspis) (from 1091 scales), black-bellied tetradactyla) (227 giant (Smutsia gigantea) (1028 scales) pangolins. Haplotype diversity was higher P. tricuspis (121 haplotypes, 66 novel) than that tetradactyla (22 15 S. gigantea (25 21 scales. Of novel 74.2% likely western west-central Africa, suggesting potential resurgence poaching newly exploited populations these regions. Our results illustrate utility extensively subsampling outline an efficient molecular approach genetic screening should be accessible most forensic laboratories enforcement agencies.