Date:01/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/01/stories/2008120158310300.htm

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Alison is a native squirrel, after all

Special Correspondent

Thiruvananthapuram: Alison’s identity crisis came to an end on Friday. The little black furry animal that baffled zoologists for over a week has finally been identified as a striped grey palm squirrel that could possibly have undergone genetic mutation.

DNA tests conducted at the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) here showed that the animal is 98 per cent similar to the striped palm squirrel commonly found in India, as against 84 per cent similarity with the black squirrel endemic to the U.K.

Elated

Oommen V. Oommen, Head of the Department of Zoology, University of Kerala, and his team of researchers who have been looking after the animal ever since it was captured from Sreekaryam last Sunday, are elated by the finding. The team sought the help of the veterinary doctors Joe Jacob Sebastian from the city zoo and Jacob Alexander from the SPCA to collect blood samples from the animal.

“Scientists at the RGCB isolated DNA from the blood sample of the animal and conducted gene sequencing. The DNA sequence was compared with that of the palm squirrel and the black squirrel on an international database to come up with the finding,” Dr. Oommen explained.

“After consulting experts all over the world, we have zeroed in on Dr. Alison Thomas of the U.K. to help us with further research on how a striped grey squirrel could have undergone genetic transformation into a black one. We have to identify the chromosome responsible for the mutation that has given the animal a black coat. Dr. Thomas has accepted our proposal for a joint research. We will also seek expertise from professionals in other institutes.”

Dr. Oommen said the animal had been named after Dr. Thomson who works on the genetics of the black squirrel. “She was only happy to concede our request to name the animal after her.” Alison seems to have mellowed after a week in captivity. “She was aggressive earlier and bit two of my students. But now, she has become tame. She is taking plantains and coconut,” said Dr. Oommen, who took Alison home on Sunday.