PINNIPED PENISES IN TRADE - A MOLECULAR-GENETIC INVESTIGATION

This study was prompted by international concern over the expanding gl obal trade in wildlife parts and derivatives. Pinniped (seals, sea lio ns, fur seals, and walrus) penises purchased in traditional Chinese me dicine shops in Asia and North America were examined using molecular g enetic techniques. A 261 basepair region of the cytochrome b gene was sequenced for 21 unknown samples 3 harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) refe rence samples, and 2 hooded seal (Cystophora cristata) reference sampl es. These sequences were compared against published sequences for pinn iped species. Eleven samples from Shanghai and 1 front Bangkok were id entified as harp seals and 1 Vancouver sample was derived from a hoode d seal. One sample (from Hong Kong) was most closely associated with a n Australian fur seal (Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus), though the p ossibility of it originating from a Cape fur seal (A. p. pusillus) cou ld not be discounted due to the unavailability of a reference sequence . Seven samples were not derived from pinnipeds 1 from Bangkok was ide ntified as originating from domestic cattle (Bos taurus) and the remai ning 6 were not identifiable to species clue to a lack of relevant pub lished sequences. Of these 6 samples 2 from Canada were most similar t o African wild dog (Lycaon pictus), 3 (2 from Toronto and 1 from Bangk ok) were most similar to domestic cattle followed by water buffalo (Bu balis bubalis), and 1 from San Francisco was most similar to water buf falo. Our results confirm that penises from different pinnipeds are in international trade. The detection of unidentifiable species and, pos sibly, the Australian fur seal-a species that is not legally hunted-su ggests that legal trade in seal products is serving as a cover for ill egal trade. These findings are consistent with other recent evidence t hat the lucrative market for pinniped penises may be encouraging the u nregulated hunting of seals, including protected species, and the harv esting of other unidentified mammalian species.