Revisiting the genetic diversity and population structure of the endangered Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) breeding populations in the Xisha (Paracel) Islands, South China Sea.

ABSTRACT: The Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) is an umbrella species in the South China Sea, a Chinese national first-level protected wild animal, and the only sea turtle that nests in waters around China. The largest C. mydas nesting ground is distributed in the Xisha (Paracel) Islands, which plays a vital role in the survival of sea turtle populations in the region. This study reveals the genetic diversity and population structure of the breeding population of C. mydas in the Xisha (Paracel) Islands using three mitochondrial markers. A total of 15 D-loop, five Cytochrome b (Cyt b), and seven Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit I (COI) haplotypes were identified in the breeding population of C. mydas in the Xisha (Paracel) Islands. D-loop haplotypes are distributed in clades

SUBMITTER: Li M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10039654 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature