Unfortunately, these guys are listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List due to the fact that they have been over-hunted for their fur. Conservation of the otters is, therefore, top of many people’s agendas and where have some scientists been looking for inspiration? Yes, you’ve guessed it, the past!
Pickles et al (2011) begin by saying that the level of genetic diversity amongst the giant otters and how this is distributed across their range needs to be established immediately. This will allow regions of high conservation importance to be identified, such as the populations of otters that display a genetic history of persisting in reproductive isolation (or refugia), during which local adaptations may have occurred. They insist that ‘such an understanding is fundamental for targeting conservation efforts to successfully manage the recovery of endangered species such as the giant otter’.
Their data revealed a high degree of genetic diversity within the species that was not evenly geographically distributed. The authors, therefore, suggest that by focusing conservation efforts on the Southernmost fringe of the otter’s range will enable the highest degree of genetic diversity to be preserved in the smallest geographical area. This is where a ‘disproportionate’ amount of the otters’ total mDNA diversity is found. This high amount of genetic diversity is thought to be the result of isolated populations persisting in refugia for long periods of time before recolonising again. I like how this study not only recognises the role of refugia in shaping modern populations of otters but shows how a detailed understanding of their past is vital for the identification of conservation priorities now that they have become endangered. Humans have nearly driven these animals to extinction and it is not time we stepped up and used our scientific understandings to ensure their future survival.
