DNA barcoding revises a misidentification on musk deer.

AbstractAs an endangered animal group in China, musk deer (genus Moschus) have attracted the attention of deer biologists and wildlife conservationists. Clarifying the taxonomic status and distribution of musk deer species is important to determine the conservation status for each species and establish appropriate conservation strategies. There remains some uncertainty about the species determination of the musk deer in the Guandi Forest District of Shanxi Province, China. The musk deer in Shanxi would appear to represent an extension of the geographical distribution of either the Forest Musk Deer from the southwest or the Siberian Musk Deer from the northeast, or possibly both. The musk deer population in Shanxi Province provides an interesting and significant case to test the value of applying molecular methods to make a genetic species identification. In order to clarify the species status of the Shanxi musk deer, we sequenced 627 bp of the COI gene and ≈723 bp of the D-loop gene in 12 musk deer sample...