Revista de biodiversidad y especies en peligro de extinción

A New Approach to Protection and Conservation of Cites-Listed Species: DNA Barcoding of Parrots in Nigeria

Abstract

Christie O Onyia, Chosen E Obih, Patience O Ilo, Beatrice O Ojiego, Victoria C Iwu, Yohanna Saidu, Bamidele O Solomon, Victor I Amasiorah, Adekunle B Rowaiye and Kolawole Gbenga Joshua

Anthropogenic activities, coupled with climate change effects have led to biodiversity crisis and genetic erosion. The number of wildlife species being threatened and or endangered is on the increase. The Convention on International Trade on Endangered Fauna and Flora (CITES) has categorized these species under Appendices I, II, III, reflecting their level of endangerment as well as the protection level accorded each taxonomic group. DNA barcoding has over time, been identified as a tool for authenticating the taxonomic information of species at all stages of life, telling apart cryptic species, fighting fraud, poaching and prosecution of violators of CITES and for general conservation purposes. The national survey carried out to up-date the CITES list of Nigeria’s endangered species revealed that some of the bird species such as the Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) and the grey parrot could hardly be found in the wild anymore. The International Union of Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in 2016, accorded the maximum level of protection to African Grey parrot, which was recently by upgrading it to CITES Appendix I). This study, therefore, targeted CITES-listed parrot species that are fast disappearing through poaching and illegal trading belonging to the order-Psittaciformes and of genera-Psittacula, Poicephalus and Psittacus held in captivity in the orphanage of the National Parks Service Abuja, Nigeria. The aim of this initial project was to populate the GenBank with sequence libraries from bird species from this biogeographic region. Live birds were sampled and a set of primers-COI F and COI R tested were found effective in the amplification of the DNA of the samples. The primers were successfully used to amplify and sequence the genomic DNA, which sequences were deposited in the GenBank with their accession numbers obtained and published.