Genetic variability in the complete mitochondrial control region of the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) in the Iberian Peninsula

Sequencing of the complete mitochondrial DNA control region from 31 samples of the Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra , enabled us to establish the length and structure of this fragment, as well as to describe, for the first time, the RS3 repetitive region located at the 3' end. In addition, genetic variability of the 5' end was examined in 63 individuals, 57 of which were wild otters from the Iberian Peninsula and six captive reared otters. This analysis resulted in extremely low variability. All the samples from the Iberian Peninsula share a single haplotype, Lut 1, the most common haplotype in Europe. Captive otters showed two haplotypes: Lut 3, which has been described in wild otters from eastern Germany, and Lut 6, an haplotype not described to date. Higher variability was observed in the repetitive RS3 region. The tandem repeat was composed of an array of ten repeat units of 22 bp with differences in the repetitive motifs that differed in the arrays of different specimens. In total, 20 different haplotypes from 31 individuals were found. However, the geographical distribution of these haplotypes did not generate a phylogeographical signal. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 86 , 397–403.