Genetic identification of Javan hawk-eagle (Nisaetus bartelsi) from Indonesia using mitochondrial COI gene
Nisaetus bartelsi is a native hawk from Java which its genetic information is not commonly understood yet. As a part of the conservation effort to maintain genetic diversity of this endangered species, this research aimed to obtain COI gene sequences from five individuals of N. bartelsi to confirm its position in the phylogenetic tree. DNA isolation from 5 N. bartelsi blood sample was performed and its COI gene sequence was amplified, sequenced, and used to reconstruct phylogenetic tree using MEGA6 with several other members of Nisaetus, Aquila, and Saggitaridae family. Furthermore, the intraspecific distance between 5 N. bartelsi samples and interspecific distance with other species were calculated using MEGA6. The result suggested that all five individuals belonged to the species Javan hawk-eagle (N. bartelsi) and were closely related to the Blyth’s hawk-eagle (Nisaetus alboniger). The DNA barcoding of the Javan hawk-eagle conducted in this study is a stepping stone to conservation efforts for the Javan hawk-eagle.