GENETIC ANALYSIS OF SUMATRAN ELEPHANTS IN SEBLAT NATURAL ECOTOURISM PARK BASED ON PARTIAL OF MITOCHONDRIAL CYTOCHROME B GENE

Sumatran elephant (Elephas maximus sumatranus Temminck, 1847) is one of the Asian sub-species distributed in Sumatera Island and classified as endangered species due to hunting high habitat fragmentation. This study aimed analyze genetic relationship elephants based on mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (Cyt b). Blood samples were collected from 11 Seblat Natural Ecotourism Park. Based mt-DNA Cytochrome analysis, low diversity was found population, indicated by 99-100% sequence similarity among samples. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all same clade has a close with Borneo elephants. Additionally, Median-joining network illustrated only two haplotypes population. The indicates strategic breeding program should be seriously taken into account prevent extinction.