in public databases. Background. ⢠Knowledge of predator-prey ... mitochondrial genes 12s and 16s. ⢠Develop a custom database to query unknown sequences.
Are Tasmanian Macropodiformes diagnostically distinct from their mainland counterparts? Catriona D.
1 Campbell ,
Anna J.
1 MacDonald ,
1Institute 2Invasive
Bernd
1 Gruber ,
Stephen
2 Harris
and Stephen D. Sarre1
for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra
Species Branch, Department of Primary Industries, Parks Water and Environment
Background • Knowledge of predator-prey interactions is vital to understanding ecosystem change. Tasmania
Potorous tridactylus
supports populations of unique flora and fauna owing to the island’s long isolation • Diagnostic mtDNA markers can be used to determine prey taxa in predator scats and provide the basis for broad scale identification of predator-prey interactions • In Tasmania five species of macropodiformes are present. They are: • Long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus) • Tasmanian bettong (Bettongia gaimardi) • Bennett’s wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) • Tasmanian pademelon (Thylogale billardierii) • Forester kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)
©Kristian Golding
• Three large native mammalian predators are supported in Tasmania along with three feral predators, they are: Tasmanian devil, spotted-tailed quoll, eastern quoll, wild dog, feral cat, fox. • Next generation sequencing is a useful technique to determine predator-prey interactions BUT: How do we identify unknown sequences from predator scats?
Diagnostic DNA markers • Scats contain highly degraded DNA that fail to amplify large fragments • Mitochondrial genes show good resolution for macropodiformes (Figure 1) BUT: Differences between species are difficult to resolve with short DNA fragments (Figure 2) • Tasmanian macropodiformes have poor coverage in public databases
Figure 2: 100bp Tamura-Nei neighbour joining tree for macropodiformes
Figure 1: 812bpTamura-Nei neighbour joining tree for macropodiformes
Detecting prey in scats • Predator scats from Tasmania will be
Reference sequence database • Samples for each of the five extant macropodiformes found in
analysed through amplicon sequencing on
Tasmania will be sourced from across the species geographic
the 454 GS junior sequencing platform
range both in Tasmania and on mainland Australia
• Identify macropodiformes sequences
• Published sequences and voucher specimens will be collected
• Investigate predator-prey interactions
• Amplify mitochondrial genes 12s and 16s
across Tasmania
Thylogale billardieri
• Develop a custom database to query unknown sequences against • Determine whether macropodiformes can be distinguished reliably between geographic regions We are seeking as many samples for our study as possible, if
©Heather Campbell
you can help, please talk to me.
References Geneious version 6.1 created by Biomatters. Rounsevell, D., Taylor, R. & Hocking, G., 1991. Distribution records of native terrestrial mammals in Tasmania. Wildlife Research, pp.699–717 Acknowledgements: Leo Joseph, Robert Palmer, Candida Barclay, Australian Museum, Elise Furlan, Sam Banks
