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Conserv Genet (2010) 11:12391242
DOI 10.1007/s10592-009-9933-x
TECHNICAL NOTE
Molecular tracking of jaguar melanism using faecal DNA
Taiana Haag Anelisie S. Santos Fernanda P. Valdez Dnis A. Sana Leandro Silveira Laury Cullen Jr. Carlos De Angelo Ronaldo G. Morato Peter G. Crawshaw Jr. Francisco M. Salzano Eduardo Eizirik
Received: 17 January 2009 / Accepted: 15 April 2009 / Published online: 30 April 2009 Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009
Abstract Major evolutionary questions remain elusive due to persistent difculties in directly studying the genetics of variable phenotypes in natural populations. Many phenotypic variants may be of adaptive relevance, and thus important to consider in the context of conservation genetics. However, since the dynamics of these traits is usually poorly understood in the wild, their incorporation in conservation strategies is difcult to accomplish. For
animals which exhibit intriguing phenotypic variation but are difcult to track in the wild, innovative approaches are required to investigate such issues. Here we demonstrate that non-invasive DNA sampling can be used to study the genetics and ecology of melanism in the jaguar, by directly genotyping the molecular polymorphism underlying this coloration trait. These results open new prospects for the in-depth investigation of this polymorphism, and highlight the broader potential of non-invasive DNA-based phenotype tracking for wildlife in general.
Keywords Phenotypic polymorphism Panthera onca
MC1R Non-invasive sampling
Introduction
The use of non-invasive sampling from free-ranging animals has revolutionized the study of ecological, behavioral, genetic and epidemiological aspects of many taxa (Smith and Wayne 1996; Beebee and Rowe 2008). In the last two decades, the elds of conservation genetics and molecular ecology have grown dramatically, largely due to the increased ability to analyze natural populations using molecular markers applied to samples such as scats. Many research groups routinely employ faecal DNA to identify eld-collected samples at the species or individual level, as well as to determine gender, kinship, genetic diversity, or diet (e.g. Hedmark et al. 2004; Livia et al. 2007; Deagle and Tollit 2007). However, up to now we are unaware of any study that has applied faecal DNA to identify a morphological phenotype. This is largely due to the fact that the molecular basis of such traits remains unknown for most naturally occurring polymorphisms, precluding the development of assays to survey the dynamics...