Knowledge of the diet of little penguins (kororā, Eudyptula minor) in Aotearoa New Zealand is restricted to the southeast corner of the country. Our pilot study addressed this shortfall with a DNA analysis of fecal samples collected from six widespread locations by community groups collaborating with the New Zealand Penguin Initiative, a non-governmental organization that supports little penguin conservation work with expertise and resources. Samples were processed commercially by Wilderlab New Zealand Ltd that provided results as a list of read abundances assigned to taxonomic ranks ranging from species to phylum. These initial results indicated large regional differences in diet and included the first records for anchovy (Engraulis australis) and pilchard (Sardinops sagax), both important prey in northern locations. In particular, mass mortalities of starved little penguins reported by the media are most likely attributable to a shortage of anchovy. The appearance of one extralimital taxon as prey in our study indicated a likely southward spread attributable to climate change. This is the beginning of a 3-year study targeting regional and seasonal changes in little penguin diet. As a nationwide project it empowers volunteers to make a cost-effective contribution to the conservation and advocacy of little penguins.
Anthropogenic introductions of non-native trout for recreation has had widespread effects on native ecosystems and their inhabitants. The Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (LCT; Oncorhynchus henshawi) is native to western North America and is simultaneously experiencing population declines and hybridization due to climate change and non-native trout introductions, respectively. We used restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RAD-seq) on 3,205 samples from over 120 populations to assess hybridization and develop a panel of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers to identify hybridization among three taxonomic groups: Lahontan Cutthroat Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout. These markers will facilitate ongoing characterization of hybridization status and guide studies on how environmental and anthropogenic factors impact hybridization across this system.
Correctly identifying the biological sex of threatened species is critical for the success of conservation programs in zoos as well as making accurate demographic assessments of wild populations. The eastern massasauga rattlesnake (Sistrurus catenatus) is threatened throughout its range, which has prompted the formation of conservation breeding and translocation efforts. Accurately sexing eastern massasaugas by morphological examination can be challenging due to factors such as slow maturity rates, and conventional methods of sexing (e.g. subcaudal scale counting, probing) can be uncertain or carry the risk of injury. This research intended to develop a non-invasive, molecular method to reliably sex eastern massasauga rattlesnakes using skin sheds. DNA extraction and qPCR protocols were applied to skin sheds from known-sex eastern massasaugas (n = 22). Using Z-linked (adarb2) and autosomal control (mecom) primers to determine cycle threshold differences (ΔCt) for individual samples, we were able to distinguish female from male snakes with 100
Fish populations are notoriously difficult to monitor because their aquatic habitats limit observation. While physical or chemical tagging (e.g., adipose fin removal or Alizarin Red S staining of bones) can reduce growth or survival or requires sacrifice, genetic tools offer a less invasive and more informative alternative, allowing managers to assess stock composition and census size while enabling researchers to study ecological and evolutionary processes. Here, we introduce a novel whitefish (Coregonus spp.) amplicon panel with 2,282 SNP loci identified using whole-genome resequencing, targeting loci spread across the whitefish genome, including candidate regions relevant to growth and immunity. We successfully applied the panel in seven whitefish species (C. cf. suidteri, C. confusus, C. albellus, C. muelleri, C. fatioi, C. palaea, and one C. sp.) from seven Swiss lakes. To evaluate performance, we used offspring of known parentage from an in vitro breeding experiment with wild-caught C. confusus. Parentage assignment on 381 families yielded a 0
The leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), an endangered felid in South Korea, is frequently misidentified as the domestic cat (Felis catus) during non-invasive ecological surveys. To address this issue, we developed a robust species-specific molecular assay using fecal DNA. Conventional PCR (cPCR) amplification using universal Cytb and COI primers initially failed due to PCR inhibition in fecal extracts. However, a 1/10 template dilution strategy restored stable target amplification. Comparative sequence analysis and Sanger sequencing confirmed that the Cytb region exhibited greater interspecific variation between P. bengalensis and F. catus than the COI region. Based on these findings, species-specific qPCR primers targeting the Cytb region were developed. Among the evaluated primer sets, Cytb Set 2 demonstrated the highest specificity without detectable amplification in domestic cat samples. SYBR Green-based qPCR and melting curve analysis further confirmed specific target amplification. The developed assay provides a reliable and non-invasive molecular tool that improves monitoring efficiency and reduces misidentification rates in leopard cat ecological surveys using fecal DNA samples.
