ORCID Profile
0000-0002-4938-2615
Current Organisation
Murdoch University
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Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-2006
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 1996
DOI: 10.1007/BF00378115
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-1993
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 23-06-2020
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2003
DOI: 10.1071/AM03095
Abstract: THE desert mouse Pseudomys desertor is a medium sized rodent (15 – 30 g) which has a widespread distribution throughout the arid zone of Australia (Menkhorst and Knight 2001). It is considered locally abundant in habitats containing s hire, sedge, nitrebush or mature spinifex grasslands. A tolerance to disturbed habitat (from mining or grazing) has also been noted (Read et al. 1999). The distribution of the species once extended from the Murray-Darling through the Flinders Ranges to the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts, to the west coast and onto Bernier Island (Read et al. 1999 Menkhorst and Knight 2001). Since European colonisation there has been a contraction of the species’ range to the central deserts (Kerle 1995 Read et al. 1999). In Western Australia, the most southerly historical or contemporary record, is from the Wanjarri Nature Reserve (near Mount Keith), 370 km north of Kalgoorlie (D. Pearson pers. comm. Western Australian Museum fauna database: 203.30.234.168/). Recently, however, a suspected P. desertor was caught north-west of Queen Victoria Springs (QVS) in the Great Victoria Desert (GPS 30o 03’ 56’’S 122o 55’ 28’’E), approximately 350 km to the south-east of its most southern known locality. The specimen had the distinctive buff-orange eye ring, size and general features of P. desertor described in Kerle (1995) and Menkhorst and Knight (2001). Prior to release of the specimen, an ear biopsy was obtained for DNA investigation and genomic DNA was extracted from the biopsy via a variation on the salting out procedure of Miller et al. (1988).
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-04-2017
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 07-12-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2005
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2005
DOI: 10.1071/WR04076
Abstract: In Australia, the feral pig (Sus scrofa) is a significant vertebrate pest that has an impact on agricultural production, public health and ecosystem integrity. Although feral pigs are controlled throughout much of their range, little is known about the impact that these control programs have had on the social biology, structure and the dispersal of pigs. To begin to address this, we collected demographic data and genetic s les from 123 feral pigs culled during a regional aerial shooting program over 33 pastoral properties in the semi-arid rangelands of southern Queensland, Australia. S ling was carried out after two years of extensive control efforts (aerial 1080-baiting) and the s les therefore represented a controlled, persecuted population with a bias towards young animals. The analysis of 13 microsatellite loci suggested that females will accept multiple matings, females form loose mobs that appear to be highly dynamic social groups, and males will travel large distances between mobs. These data indicate that feral pigs in this population had a high level of social contact and form a single open population with no evidence of genetic (population) structuring. Such information may be important to integrate into management strategies, particularly the development of contingency plans regarding the spread of wildlife diseases.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 2007
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2000
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 22-06-2009
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 13-08-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 1995
DOI: 10.1007/BF00368039
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-01-2017
DOI: 10.1111/REC.12493
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-11-2015
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.12995
Abstract: Ecological restoration of degraded ecosystems has emerged as a critical tool in the fight to reverse and ameliorate the current loss of bio ersity and ecosystem services. Approaches derived from different genetic disciplines are extending the theoretical and applied frameworks on which ecological restoration is based. We performed a search of scientific articles and identified 160 articles that employed a genetic approach within a restoration context to shed light on the links between genetics and restoration. These articles were then classified on whether they examined association between genetics and fitness or the application of genetics in demographic studies, and on the way the studies informed restoration practice. Although genetic research in restoration is rapidly growing, we found that studies could make better use of the extensive toolbox developed by applied fields in genetics. Overall, 41% of reviewed studies used genetic information to evaluate or monitor restoration, and 59% provided genetic information to guide prerestoration decision-making processes. Reviewed studies suggest that restoration practitioners often overlook the importance of including genetic aspects within their restoration goals. Even though there is a genetic basis influencing the provision of ecosystem services, few studies explored this relationship. We provide a view of research gaps, future directions and challenges in the genetics of restoration.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1071/ZO15022
Abstract: Populations in fragmented urban remnants may be at risk of genetic erosion as a result of reduced gene flow and elevated levels of inbreeding. This may have serious genetic implications for the long-term viability of remnant populations, in addition to the more immediate pressures caused by urbanisation. The population genetic structure of the generalist skink Ctenotus fallens was examined using nine microsatellite markers within and among natural vegetation remnants within a highly fragmented urban matrix in the Perth metropolitan area in Western Australia. These data were compared with s les from a large unfragmented site on the edge of the urban area. Overall, estimates of genetic ersity and inbreeding within all populations were similar and low. Weak genetic differentiation, and a significant association between geographic and genetic distance, suggests historically strong genetic connectivity that decreases with geographic distance. Due to recent fragmentation, and genetic inertia associated with low genetic ersity and large population sizes, it is not possible from these data to infer current genetic connectivity levels. However, the historically high levels of gene flow that our data suggest indicate that a reduction in contemporary connectivity due to fragmentation in C. fallens is likely to result in negative genetic consequences in the longer term.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2004
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/AM19046
Abstract: The numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is an endangered and peculiar marsupial with a diet that consists almost exclusively of termites. This study developed a parentage-testing system for numbats using microsatellite markers. Nineteen loci detected 143 alleles, with 4–13 alleles/locus and average expected heterozygosity of 77% (range 0.665–0.855). The total parentage exclusion probability was & .9999 (given only the genotype of the offspring), & .9999 for excluding a candidate parent from the parentage of an arbitrary offspring (given the genotype of the offspring and parent) and the probability of identity for full-sibs was 4.6×10–9. Overall, these microsatellites offer a simple and highly informative marker-set for parentage identification in numbats.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-04-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-12-2015
DOI: 10.1002/JWMG.807
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2001
DOI: 10.1071/ZO00080
Abstract: The brush-tailed phascogale (Phascogale tapoatafa) is considered locally rare and vulnerable, despite being found in all mainland states of Australia. It is rarely detected in faunal surveys and the two most immediate conservation requirements are a determination of its current range and clarification of its taxonomic status. Measures of genetic differentiation amongst Phascogale tapoatafa populations in eastern, western and northern Australia were estimated using a partial (348 bp) sequence of mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b gene). Observed sequence ergence within P. tapoatafa was substantial, with an average of 13% separating the allopatric populations in south-eastern, south-western and northern Australia. In comparison, an average of 16% sequence ergence separated the two currently recognised Phascogale species (P. tapoatafa andP. calura). Thus, Phascogale comprises four highly ergent lineages, suggesting that the genus is more erse than previously thought. These data indicate that further taxonomic research is warranted.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-06-2005
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2002
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1996
DOI: 10.1071/ZO9960659
Abstract: Milk composition and the rates of milk consumption by pouch young were examined in free-living allied rock-wallabies, Petrogale assimilis. Milk solids concentrations were approximately 16% (w/w) at 70 days post-partum and increased to about 22% by 170 days when young first left the pouch. By permanent pouch emergence (about 200 days), concentrations had declined and stabilised at about 19%. Milk carbohydrate peaked at 12% (w/v) at 150 days lipid concentrations averaged 8% (w/w) at 200 days. The subsequent decline in carbohydrates was the main cause of the fall in milk solids. Protein concentrations increased gradually from about 3% (w/v) at 70 days to plateau at 5.5% at about 200 days. Milk consumption rates were measured from 72 to 159 days post-partum with Na-22 turnover. Milk consumption, about 3 mL day(-1) initially, increased to an average of about 15 mL day(-1) by 150 days. The mass gained by a pouch young between 72 and 159 days for each millilitre of milk consumed was not correlated with lactational stage and averaged 0.21 +/- 0.014 (s.e.)g mL(-1).
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-06-2012
DOI: 10.1111/J.1529-8817.2012.01187.X
Abstract: Sargassum subgenus Phyllotricha currently includes seven species restricted to Australian and New Zealand coasts. A recent study of Cystoseira and other Sargassaceae genera based on mitochondrial 23S DNA and chloroplast-encoded psbA sequences resulted in the most widely distributed species of subgenus Phyllotricha, Sargassum decurrens, being transferred to the reinstated monospecific Sargassopsis Trevisan. The fate of the residual six Phyllotricha species, however, was not considered. The present study examines these Phyllotricha species, alongside other Sargassum subgenera, Sargassopsis, Sirophysalis trinodis (formerly Cystoseira trinodis) and the New Zealand endemic Carpophyllum Greville, using morphological evidence and the molecular phylogenetic markers cox3, ITS-2 and the rbcL-S spacer. Our results suggest both the genus Sargassum and Sargassum subgenus Phyllotricha are polyphyletic as currently circumscribed. Four S. subgen. Phyllotricha species, i.e. S. sonderi, S. decipiens, S. varians and S. verruculosum, form a monophyletic group sister to the genus Carpophyllum, and S. peronii is genetically identical to S. decurrens with regard to all three loci. We propose the resurrection of the genus Phyllotricha Areschoug, with type species Phyllotricha sonderi, and include the new combinations Phyllotricha decipiens, Phyllotricha varians and Phyllotricha verruculosum. Sargassum peronii, S. heteromorphum and S. kendrickii are transferred to Sargassopsis and Sargassum peronii is considered a synonym of Sargassopsis decurrens.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/PC17002
Abstract: Globally, many wildlife species are declining and an increasing number are threatened by extinction or are extinct. Active management is generally required to mitigate these trends and population viability analysis (PVA) enables different scenarios to be evaluated and informs management decisions. Based on population parameters obtained from a threatened bettong, the woylie (Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi), we developed and validated a PVA model. We identified the demographic and genetic responses to different threatening factors and developed a general framework that would facilitate similar work in other bettong species. The two main threatening processes are predation by introduced animals and its interaction with reduced fitness (e.g. due to inbreeding depression or a disease). Although predation alone can drive a decline in certain circumstances (e.g. when predation success is independent from prey population density), synergistically, predation and reduced fitness can be particularly relevant, especially for small populations. The minimum viable population size was estimated at 1000–2000 in iduals. In addition, the models identified that research into age-specific mortality rates and predation rates by introduced animals should be the focus of future work. The PVA model created here provides a basis to investigate threatening processes and management strategies in woylie populations and other extant bettong species, given the ecological and physiological similarities among these threatened species.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/AM11044
Abstract: Ancient DNA is becoming increasingly recognised as a tool in conservation biology to audit past bio ersity. The widespread loss of Australian bio ersity, especially endemic mammal populations, is of critical concern. An extreme ex le occurred on Depuch Island, situated off the north-west coast of Western Australia, where an unidentified species of rock-wallaby (Petrogale sp.) became extinct as a result of predation by red foxes. Two potential candidate species, Petrogale lateralis and P. rothschildi, both have ranges adjacent to Depuch Island, making identification based on geography difficult. A museum bone (one of the only surviving Depuch Island specimens) was subjected to standard ancient DNA analyses and procedures. Mitochondrial DNA cytochrome b and hypervariable control region were targeted for species identification. Ancient DNA was successfully recovered from the bone: 200 base pairs (bp) of control region and 975 bp of the cytochrome b gene. Bayesian phylogenetic analyses were employed to model the Depuch Island rock-wallaby DNA sequences together with sequences of other rock-wallaby taxa from GenBank. Evidence suggests that of the two Petrogale lateralis subspecies proposed to have inhabited Depuch Island, Petrogale lateralis lateralis was identified as the most likely. The identification of the Depuch Island rock-wallaby population may assist in the reintroduction of an insurance population of Petrogale lateralis lateralis, which is becoming increasingly threatened on mainland Australia.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-09-2011
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-1995
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2005
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-06-1998
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 26-04-2020
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12411
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-11-2010
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-2013
Abstract: Translocations are an important conservation strategy for many species. However simply observing demographic growth of a translocated population is not sufficient to infer species recovery. Adequate genetic representation of the source population(s) and their long-term viability should also be considered. The woylie Bettongia penicillata ogilbyi has been subject to more formal translocations for conservation than any other marsupial that, up until recently, has resulted in one of the most successful species recoveries in Australia. We used mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers to assess the genetic outcomes of translocated woylie populations. These populations have lost genetic variability, differentiated from their source population and the supplementation program on two island populations appears to have failed. We discuss the conservation implications that our results have for managing threatened species, outline some general recommendations for the management of present and future translocations and discuss the appropriate s ling design for the establishment of new populations or captive breeding programs that may mitigate the genetic ‘erosion’ seen in our study species. This research provides some practical outcomes and a pragmatic understanding of translocation biology. The findings are directly applicable to other translocation programs.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-11-2022
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.13989
Abstract: Landscape-scale conservation that considers metapopulation dynamics will be essential for preventing declines of species facing multiple threats to their survival. Toward this end, we developed a novel approach that combines occurrence records, spatial-environmental data, and genetic information to model habitat, connectivity, and patterns of genetic structure and link spatial attributes to underlying ecological mechanisms. Using the threatened northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus) as a case study, we applied this approach to address the need for conservation decision-making tools that promote resilient metapopulations of this threatened species in the Pilbara, Western Australia, a multiuse landscape that is a hotspot for bio ersity and mining. Habitat and connectivity were predicted by different landscape characteristics. Whereas habitat suitability was overwhelmingly driven by terrain ruggedness, dispersal was facilitated by proximity to watercourses. Although there is limited evidence for major physical barriers in the Pilbara, areas with high silt and clay content (i.e., alluvial and hardpan plains) showed high resistance to dispersal. Climate subtlety shaped distributions and patterns of genetic turnover, suggesting the potential for local adaptation. By understanding these spatial-environmental associations and linking them to life-history and metapopulation dynamics, we highlight opportunities to provide targeted species management. To support this, we have created habitat, connectivity, and genetic uniqueness maps for conservation decision-making in the region. These tools have the potential to provide a more holistic approach to conservation in multiuse landscapes globally.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2004
DOI: 10.1071/WR03099
Abstract: A combination of demographic and genetic data was collected from 354 feral pigs (Sus scrofa), caught using standard trapping methods in south-western Australia, to provide preliminary information on their social biology. This included attempts to identify the putative parentage of 172 juvenile and foetal pigs, characterisation of the genetic mating system observed, and examination of the demographics of those in iduals captured by current trapping methods. Findings revealed that in south-western Australia (a) feral pigs displayed moderately polygynous, but not polyandrous, mating behaviour, (b) breeding boars were significantly heavier than non-breeding boars, (c) the most reproductively successful boars, large in iduals weighing kg, moved the furthest in order to secure paternity, and (d) that a large proportion of breeding adults, particularly boars, were not captured under the standard trapping method employed. Ultimately, these data may be useful for the improvement of existing control programs, and exotic disease preparedness strategies.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 08-11-2017
DOI: 10.1093/CZ/ZOX065
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-10-2011
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1997
DOI: 10.1071/ZO96058
Abstract: Estimates of genetic variation for a small (Ne = 39) colony of allied rock-wallabies (Petrogale assimilis) were calculated with three different categories of molecular marker. Average heterozygosity was estimated at 3·8% for allozymes, 47·3% for multilocus ‘DNA fingerprints’ and 85·5% for microsatellite markers. Overall these values indicate that this small isolated colony of rock-wallabies maintains a high level of genetic variation despite its relative isolation and the apparently low levels of migration between colonies. It is likely that mechanisms exist (such as kin avoidance, multiple mating systems, high and variable selective pressure in extreme and fluctuating environmental conditions) that promote the maintenance of high levels of genetic variation in isolated colonies of P. assimilis. These mechanisms are discussed in the context of the results obtained from the molecular markers.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2011
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2011.03.011
Abstract: Cockatoos are the distinctive family Cacatuidae, a major lineage of the order of parrots (Psittaciformes) and distributed throughout the Australasian region of the world. However, the evolutionary history of cockatoos is not well understood. We investigated the phylogeny of cockatoos based on three mitochondrial and three nuclear DNA genes obtained from 16 of 21 species of Cacatuidae. In addition, five novel mitochondrial genomes were used to estimate time of ergence and our estimates indicate Cacatuidae erged from Psittacidae approximately 40.7 million years ago (95% CI 51.6-30.3 Ma) during the Eocene. Our data shows Cacatuidae began to ersify approximately 27.9 Ma (95% CI 38.1-18.3 Ma) during the Oligocene. The early to middle Miocene (20-10 Ma) was a significant period in the evolution of modern Australian environments and vegetation, in which a transformation from mainly mesic to xeric habitats (e.g., fire-adapted sclerophyll vegetation and grasslands) occurred. We hypothesize that this environmental transformation was a driving force behind the ersification of cockatoos. A detailed multi-locus molecular phylogeny enabled us to resolve the phylogenetic placements of the Palm Cockatoo (Probosciger aterrimus), Galah (Eolophus roseicapillus), Gang-gang Cockatoo (Callocephalon fimbriatum) and Cockatiel (Nymphicus hollandicus), which have historically been difficult to place within Cacatuidae. When the molecular evidence is analysed in concert with morphology, it is clear that many of the cockatoo species' diagnostic phenotypic traits such as plumage colour, body size, wing shape and bill morphology have evolved in parallel or convergently across lineages.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-2023
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.10037
Abstract: Landscape genetics is increasingly transitioning away from microsatellites, with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) providing increased resolution for detecting patterns of spatial‐genetic structure. This is particularly pertinent for research in arid‐zone mammals due to challenges associated with unique life history traits, such as boom‐bust population dynamics and long‐distance dispersal capacities. Here, we provide a case study comparing SNPs versus microsatellites for testing three explicit landscape genetic hypotheses (isolation‐by‐distance, isolation‐by‐barrier, and isolation‐by‐resistance) in a suite of small, arid‐zone mammals in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Using clustering algorithms, Mantel tests, and linear mixed effects models, we compare functional connectivity between genetic marker types and across species, including one marsupial, Ningaui timealeyi , and two native rodents, Pseudomys chapmani and P. hermannsburgensis . SNPs resolved subtle genetic structuring not detected by microsatellites, particularly for N. timealeyi where two genetic clusters were identified. Furthermore, stronger signatures of isolation‐by‐distance and isolation‐by‐resistance were detected when using SNPs, and model selection based on SNPs tended to identify more complex resistance surfaces (i.e., composite surfaces of multiple environmental layers) in the best‐performing models. While we found limited evidence for physical barriers to dispersal across the Pilbara for all species, we found that topography, substrate, and soil moisture were the main environmental drivers shaping functional connectivity. Our study demonstrates that new analytical and genetic tools can provide novel ecological insights into arid landscapes, with potential application to conservation management through identifying dispersal corridors to mediate the impacts of ongoing habitat fragmentation in the region.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2004
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2010
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2002
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 03-2003
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.41.3.1187-1191.2003
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of the anaerobic intestinal spirochetes Brachyspira aalborgi and Brachyspira pilosicoli in the feces of captive nonhuman primates ( n = 35) from 19 species housed at the Zoological Gardens, Perth, Western Australia. Both spirochete species are known to infect human beings. DNA was extracted from freshly collected feces with a commercially available QIA DNA stool minikit and subjected to PCR protocols lifying portions of the 16S rRNA genes of the two spirochete species. The feces were also subjected to selective culture for the spirochetes. Subsequently, feces from 62 other captive animals or birds representing 39 species at the zoo were examined by PCR to determine whether they were reservoirs of infection. Six fecal s les from in iduals from four primate species (two vervet monkeys, two Tonkean macaques, one Japanese macaque, and one hamadryas baboon) tested positive in the B. aalborgi PCR. B. aalborgi was not detected by PCR in any of the other animal or bird species tested, and B. pilosicoli was not detected in the primates or any of the other animals or birds. B. aalborgi was isolated from both PCR-positive vervet monkeys. This is the first time that B. aalborgi has been isolated from nonhuman primates and the first time that it has been isolated from the feces of any species.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-11-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1365-2052.2010.02044.X
Abstract: The camel racing industry would have added value in being able to assign parentage with high certainty. This study was aimed at assessing and applying microsatellite multiplexes to construct a parentage testing system for camels. An efficient system of 17 loci from 700 camel s les was used to construct a database of unrelated adults. Based on this, we estimated measures of polymorphism among the markers. In three multiplex reactions, we detected a total of 224 alleles, with 5–23 alleles/locus (mean = 13.18 ± 6.95 SD) and an average heterozygosity (HE) of 0.54 (range 0.032–0.905). The total parentage exclusion probability was 0.99999 for excluding a candidate parent from parentage of an arbitrary offspring, given only the genotype of the offspring, and 0.9999 for excluding a candidate parent from parentage of an arbitrary offspring, given the genotype of the offspring and the other parent. We used 15 juveniles for parentage testing, as well as 17 sires (bull camels) and 21 dams (cows). In the case of parentage assignment, the microsatellite panel assigned all 15 offspring parentage with high confidence. Overall, these findings offer a set of microsatellite markers that are easy, simple and highly informative for parentage testing in camels.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/AM16004
Abstract: Koolan Island supports an abundant population of the threatened northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus). We used a mark–release–recapture program that produced 2089 captures from 2009 to 2012 to examine demographic and genetic parameters in this insular population and compare to other localities. Every captured female was either lactating or carrying up to eight young over the breeding season, July–September. Unlike several other populations, males on Koolan Island can survive long after breeding, but never into a second breeding season. Females can survive and reproduce for two successive annual breeding seasons and occasionally survive to a third. There is marked sexual dimorphism but it is less pronounced, and both sexes are smaller than their mainland counterparts. Quolls were recorded moving over 4 km and apparent abundance was far higher on Koolan Island than the mainland. Genetic analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial markers demonstrate a distinctive signature. Koolan island has only 34% of the allelic richness of the entire species, and only 38% of the alleles in Kimberley mainland and near-shore island populations. There is no evidence of recent or long-term population decline. Kimberley island faunas have distinctive demographic and genetic profiles that should be appraised before considering translocations for conservation purposes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2012
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2002
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-06-2016
Publisher: OMICS Publishing Group
Date: 2013
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 04-2006
DOI: 10.1111/J.1751-0813.2006.TB13400.X
Abstract: To investigate the effects of storage duration and temperature on haematological analyses performed on blood from the western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosis). Blood s les from five western grey kangaroos were stored at 4 degrees C, 24 degrees C and 36 degrees C. Each s le was analysed haematologically over a 5-day period. The blood s les maintained optimal stability at 4 degrees C. At this temperature the haematological values remained essentially unchanged for the duration of the study, while s les stored at 36 degrees C and 24 degrees C showed significant changes in some haematological measures by 12 h and 48 h, respectively. Disturbances in leukocyte morphology were evident, to varying degrees, in all s les. Blood s les from macropodids should be tested within 48 h of collection if stored at a room temperature of about 24 degrees C. Where testing is to be delayed for more than 48 h, s les should be refrigerated as soon as possible. Exposure of s les to heat in excess of 24 degrees C should be avoided at all times.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/AM14041
Abstract: The desert mouse (Pseudomys desertor) is one of the most common and widespread native rodent species across arid and semiarid Australia. The species occurs in a variety of habitats and like many arid-zone rodents, its distribution and abundance is known to fluctuate with environmental conditions. Following the capture of a suspected specimen of P. desertor outside the current known range of the species, we used molecular-based methods to confirm the specimen’s identification as P. desertor. This note presents a record of the species north of Dalwallinu, Western Australia, which represents a significant range extension for the species of 324 km from the nearest confirmed record.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 31-01-2011
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2010
DOI: 10.1071/AM09018
Abstract: Species conservation has relied on the enormous potential of information that arises from field, laboratory and other tools. When using molecular-based tools, the technology involves a considerable effort to develop, both in resources and time. A long-held practice has been to utilise pre-existing primers developed for other closely related species to evaluate conservation questions. In this study, we present a practical approach on how to utilise pre-existing microsatellite markers in bettong and potoroo species. This information is relevant before, during and after a species crash and the approach we describe could be particularly appropriate when there is an immediate need to retrieve a knowledge-base in order to support management decisions. We determined that cross-species lification success of microsatellite markers is inversely related to evolutionary distance of the source species although their polymorphism is not. A ‘priority-list’ of potential markers for potoroids is given for future conservation genetic studies.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-03-2003
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-07-2004
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-04-2012
DOI: 10.1002/JWMG.381
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-02-2003
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-08-2009
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/PC130169
Abstract: Shepherd’s beaked whale (Tasmacetus shepherdi) is one of the least known cetaceans. Based on the location of 45 strandings and two at-sea sightings, T. shepherdi is thought to have a circumpolar distribution in the temperate waters of the Southern Hemisphere between latitudes 33°S and 50°S. On 10 November 2008, a female T. shepherdi was found dead on a beach in Shark Bay, Western Australia, at 113° 16’E, 26° 20’S. DNA sequencing was used to verify the identification of the specimen, which is the northern most record for this species. The age of the specimen was estimated to be between 12 and 15 years, based on counting dentine growth layer groups in two teeth, assuming an annual rate of deposition.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-09-2013
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2003
DOI: 10.1071/WR01109
Abstract: Non-invasive methods have the potential to circumvent problems associated with using more traditional techniques when surveying for rare and elusive species. In this study, non-invasive molecular-based methods have been used to analyse the scats of several species of marsupials. DNA was successfully extracted from scats of the quokka, Setonix brachyurus, and three other macropods (Macropus fuliginosus, M. irma and M. eugenii) sympatric with the quokka and with similar-appearing scats. Partial sequence from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene from these four species and seven other macropods was used to measure genetic differentiation among them to determine whether the quokka could be unambiguously identified from the scats alone. The results confirm that molecular approaches can be used for macropod species identification using scats as the source material. The approach will have potential survey and management applications, and, more specifically, may lead to more accurate assessment of the quokka's geographic range, leading to implementation of more appropriate management strategies for its conservation.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 27-11-2020
DOI: 10.3390/D12120448
Abstract: Many Australian mammal species now only occur on islands and fenced mainland havens free from invasive predators. The range of one species, the banded hare-wallaby (Lagostrophus fasciatus), had contracted to two offshore islands in Western Australia. To improve survival, four conservation translocations have been attempted with mixed success, and all occurred in the absence of genetic information. Here, we genotyped seven polymorphic microsatellite markers in two source (Bernier Island and Dorre Island), two historic captive, and two translocated L. fasciatus populations to determine the impact of multiple translocations on genetic ersity. Subsequently, we used population viability analysis (PVA) and gene retention modelling to determine scenarios that will maximise demographic resilience and genetic richness of two new populations that are currently being established. One translocated population (Wadderin) has undergone a genetic bottleneck and lost 8.1% of its source population’s allelic ersity, while the other (Faure Island) may be inbred. We show that founder number is a key parameter when establishing new L. fasciatus populations and 100 founders should lead to high survival probabilities. Our modelling predicts that during periodic droughts, the recovery of source populations will be slower post-harvest, while 75% more animals—about 60 in iduals—are required to retain adequate allelic ersity in the translocated population. Our approach demonstrates how genetic data coupled with simulations of stochastic environmental events can address central questions in translocation programmes.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-04-2021
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1992
DOI: 10.1071/ZO9920355
Abstract: The haematology of a colony of wild allied rock-wallabies, Petrogale assimilis Ramsay, 1877, from north-western Queensland was studied for 20 months. Wallabies were repeatedly trapped at monthly intervals and 511 blood s les from 96 animals were examined, making this the most comprehensive study of the haematology of any macropod species. The morphology of the red blood cells and leucocytes was similar to those of other marsupials. Large and small lymphocytes were recognised. Binucleate lymphocytes were found in 7.2% of blood smears. Normal haematological values were within the published ranges for other marsupials. However, the average white blood cell count (mean +/- s.e.: 9.03 +/- 0.92 X 10(9) L-1) was close to the upper end of the range for macropods. The normal (mean +/- s.e.) red blood cell count (5.24 + 0.15 X 10(12) L-1), packed cell volume (0.4291 +/- 0.019 L L-1) and haemoglobin concentration (14.07 +/- 0.41 g dL-1) of male wallabies were higher than those of females (4.79 +/- 0.15 X 10(12) L-1, 0.3952 +/- 1.19 L L-1, and 12.95 +/- 0.41 g dL-1, respectively). No gender differences were detected in the white blood cell count (9.03 +/- 0.92 x 10(9) L-1), mean corpuscular volume (82.28 +/- 1.35 fL), mean corpuscular haemoglobin (26.98 +/- 0.57 pg) or mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (32.82 +/- 0.57 g L 1). The red blood cell count, packed cell volume, haemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration and the absolute neutrophil count in juveniles and subadults increased with age. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was less than 1.0 in pouch young and approached 1.0 in adults. The red blood cell count, packed cell volume and haemoglobin concentration of lactating females did not vary with age of pounch young.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1071/AM17008
Abstract: The rufous hare-wallaby (Lagorchestes hirsutus) is now extinct in the wild on mainland Australia, but survives in captivity. However, endemic populations persist on Bernier and Dorre Islands, Western Australia. This study aimed to compare the genetic ersity and differentiation amongst three remaining rufous hare-wallaby populations using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (cytochrome b, control region) sequence data and nuclear (microsatellite) markers. Levels of microsatellite ersity were low in both island populations but high in the captive mainland population. Levels of mtDNA ersity were low in all three populations. The mainland and island populations of L. hirsutus were found to be significantly differentiated for both microsatellite and mtDNA data, but the two island populations were significantly differentiated only for the microsatellite data. This pattern of differentiation is not consistent with the recognition of two separate island subspecies, but we recommend that the mainland and island populations be regarded as separate subspecies. The low ersity of the island populations and differentiation between island and mainland populations presents both challenges and opportunities for future management.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-1995
Publisher: Future Science Ltd
Date: 03-2009
DOI: 10.2144/000113086
Abstract: Genetic variation in microsatellites is rarely examined in the field of ancient DNA (aDNA) due to the low quantity of nuclear DNA in the fossil record together with the lack of characterized nuclear markers in extinct species. 454 sequencing platforms provide a new high-throughput technology capable of generating up to 1 gigabases per run as short (200–400-bp) read lengths. 454 data were generated from the fossil bone of an extinct New Zealand moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes). We identified numerous short tandem repeat (STR) motifs, and here present the successful isolation and characterization of one polymorphic microsatellite (Moa_MS2). Primers designed to flank this locus lified all three moa species tested here. The presented method proved to be a fast and efficient way of identifying microsatellite markers in ancient DNA templates and, depending on biomolecule preservation, has the potential of enabling high-resolution population genetic studies of extinct taxa. As sequence read lengths of the 454 platforms and its competitors (e.g., the SOLEXA and SOLiD platforms) increase, this approach will become increasingly powerful in identifying microsatellites in extinct (and extant) organisms, and will afford new opportunities to study past bio ersity and extinction processes.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-07-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-1999
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-06-2006
DOI: 10.1007/S11230-006-9036-8
Abstract: Examination of blood films as part of a study to assess the health status of the southern brown bandicoot Isoodon obesulus (Shaw) in Western Australia revealed the gamonts of a haemogregarine parasite in some s les, the first to be recognised in a bandicoot in this state. Light microscope morphological characteristics and partial sequence of the 18S rRNA gene were used to describe these organisms. Morphological characters did not differentiate the organism in the current study from previously reported Hepatozoon peramelis (Welsh & Dalyell, 1909). Phylogenetic analysis has not previously been reported for any species of Hepatozoon from Australian marsupials and consequently could not be used to confirm the identity of the organism in the current study as that described in the 1900s. If this organism is H. peramelis, then it has a wide distribution, being found in three species of bandicoot, in western and eastern Australia and the in island state of Tasmania.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-09-2022
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.16680
Abstract: Mammal declines across northern Australia are one of the major bio ersity loss events occurring globally. There has been no regional assessment of the implications of these species declines for genomic ersity. To address this, we conducted a species-wide assessment of genomic ersity in the northern quoll (Dasyurus hallucatus), an Endangered marsupial carnivore. We used next generation sequencing methods to genotype 10,191 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 352 in iduals from across a 3220-km length of the continent, investigating patterns of population genomic structure and ersity, and identifying loci showing signals of putative selection. We found strong heterogeneity in the distribution of genomic ersity across the continent, characterized by (i) biogeographical barriers driving hierarchical population structure through long-term isolation, and (ii) severe reductions in ersity resulting from population declines, exacerbated by the spread of introduced toxic cane toads (Rhinella marina). These results warn of a large ongoing loss of genomic ersity and associated adaptive capacity as mammals decline across northern Australia. Encouragingly, populations of the northern quoll established on toad-free islands by translocations appear to have maintained most of the initial genomic ersity after 16 years. By mapping patterns of genomic ersity within and among populations, and investigating these patterns in the context of population declines, we can provide conservation managers with data critical to informed decision-making. This includes the identification of populations that are candidates for genetic management, the importance of remnant island and insurance/translocated populations for the conservation of genetic ersity, and the characterization of putative evolutionarily significant units.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-09-2003
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-05-2020
DOI: 10.1111/JZO.12791
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 09-06-2009
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-06-2006
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2004
DOI: 10.1016/J.GENE.2004.07.040
Abstract: Recent marsupials include about 280 species ided into 18 families and seven orders. Approximately 200 species live in Australia/New Guinea. The remaining species inhabit South America with some of these secondarily ranging into North America. In this study, we examine marsupial relationships and estimate their ergences times using complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes. The s ling, which includes nine new mtDNAs and a total number of 19 marsupial genomes, encompasses all extant orders and 14 families. The analysis identified a basal split between Didelphimorphia and remaining orders about 69 million years before present (MYBP), while other ordinal ergences were placed in Tertiary times. The monotypic South American order Microbiotheria (Dromiciops gliroides, Monito del Monte) was solidly nested among its Australian counterparts. The results suggest that marsupials colonized Australia twice from Antarctica/South America and that the ergence between Microbiotheria and its Australian relatives coincided with the geological separation of Antarctica and Australia. Within Australia itself, several of the deepest ergences were estimated to have taken place close to the Eocene/Oligocene transition.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 27-07-2021
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/ZO19055
Abstract: Understanding the spatial structure of populations is important in developing effective management options for threatened species, and for managing habitat connectivity for metapopulation function, and for demographic and genetic heterogeneity. We used genetic information to investigate the structure of populations of the quokka, Setonix brachyurus, in south-west Western Australia. We hypothesised that movement between known populations would be relatively rare and result in significant genetic structuring. Genetic analyses from 412 adult in iduals at 14 nuclear markers (microsatellite) from 33 s ling locations identified structure, ersity and spatial separation of quokkas across their mainland distribution and on two islands. We identified nine inferred (K = 9) populations of quokka that would be otherwise difficult to define with standard ecological techniques. The highest genetic ersity was evident in a large central population of quokka in the southern forest area and genetic ersity was lower at the peripheries of the distribution. The Rottnest Island population contained 70% of the genetic ersity of the mainland populations but the genetic ersity of animals on Bald Island was markedly lower. Populations of quokka in the northern jarrah forest were the only ones to show evidence of recent or long-term population bottlenecking. Of particular interest was the recently identified population at the Muddy Lakes area (the only remaining locality on the Swan Coastal Plain), which was identified as being genetically associated with the southern forest population. Overall, spatial and population cluster analysis showed small insular populations in the northern jarrah forest area, but in the southern forests there appears to be a large panmictic population.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 03-01-2018
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-07-2015
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.12555
Abstract: Islands present a unique scenario in conservation biology, offering refuge yet imposing limitations on insular populations. The Kimberley region of northwestern Australia has more than 2500 islands that have recently come into focus as substantial conservation resources. It is therefore of great interest for managers to understand the driving forces of genetic structure of species within these island archipelagos. We used the ubiquitous bar-shouldered skink (Ctenotus inornatus) as a model species to represent the influence of landscape factors on genetic structure across the Kimberley islands. On 41 islands and 4 mainland locations in a remote area of Australia, we genotyped in iduals across 18 nuclear (microsatellite) markers. Measures of genetic differentiation and ersity were used in two complementary analyses. We used circuit theory and Mantel tests to examine the influence of the landscape matrix on population connectivity and linear regression and model selection based on Akaike's information criterion to investigate landscape controls on genetic ersity. Genetic differentiation between islands was best predicted with circuit-theory models that accounted for the large difference in resistance to dispersal between land and ocean. In contrast, straight-line distances were unrelated to either resistance distances or genetic differentiation. Instead, connectivity was determined by island-hopping routes that allow organisms to minimize the distance of difficult ocean passages. Island populations of C. inornatus retained varying degrees of genetic ersity (NA = 1.83 - 7.39), but it was greatest on islands closer to the mainland, in terms of resistance-distance units. In contrast, genetic ersity was unrelated to island size. Our results highlight the potential for islands to contribute to both theoretical and applied conservation, provide strong evidence of the driving forces of population structure within undisturbed landscapes, and identify the islands most valuable for conservation based on their contributions to gene flow and genetic ersity.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2009
DOI: 10.1071/ZO08097
Abstract: The heath mouse (Pseudomys shortridgei) is a locally rare species it was considered extinct in Western Australia until its rediscovery 20 years ago. It is not often detected in faunal surveys and is confined to two ecologically distinct habitats on either side of the Australian continent. An important and immediate conservation question has been to determine the genetic ersity within each of its current habitats and to determine the differences between the geographically separate populations. Measures of genetic differentiation amongst P. shortridgei populations in their eastern (Victoria) and western (Western Australia) distribution were estimated using nuclear (microsatellite loci) and partial sequence of mitochondrial DNA (427 bp Cytochrome b gene and 637 bp of the D-loop). Both markers identified differences between the east- and west-coast populations. MtDNA data showed significant ergence between populations with monophyly within them, and nuclear loci investigated also showed two clear genetic clusters based on Bayesian inference. As a result of these findings, we suggest that the heath mouse comprises two highly ergent (but genetically erse) lineages and the aridity of the Nullarbor Plain has clearly been a barrier for dispersal since the early Pleistocene (~1.43 million years ago). The populations either side of the Nullarbor Plain are genetically differentiated and should be defined as separate Evolutionary Significant Units (ESUs).
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-10-2020
DOI: 10.1111/JZO.12745
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-2004
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2002
DOI: 10.1071/ZO02030
Abstract: This paper uses a combined morphological, molecular and ecological approach to assess the taxonomic status of Antechinus flavipes leucogaster from Western Australia, and its relationship to A. flavipes flavipes from eastern Australia. Morphological analyses show that A. flavipes leucogaster is smaller and finer than its eastern Australian counterpart in both cranial and dental dimensions. Phylogenetic analyses of partial cytochrome-b sequences showed that A. flavipes flavipes and A. flavipes leucogaster form reciprocally monophyletic clades that have a relatively high level of ergence (approximately 6%). Analysis of the timing of reproduction indicates that the two subspecies show opposite responses to latitude, with A. flavipes leucogaster ovulating later at high latitudes and A. flavipes flavipes ovulating later in more northerly parts of its range. The combined data and the entirely allopatric distributions of the two subspecies confirm their distinctive status. Bioclimatic analysis suggests further that A. flavipes leucogaster occupies wetter but seasonally more variable environments than its eastern relative. It is clear from the level of morphological, molecular, reproductive and distributional differences that A. flavipes flavipes and A.�flavipes leucogaster should be regarded as separate taxa for the purposes of conservation management, and their current subspecific status should be maintained.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-04-2007
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-2004
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-1995
DOI: 10.1016/0742-8413(95)00009-D
Abstract: A comparison of the erythrocyte (RBC) antioxidant metabolites and enzymes in nine marsupial and two monotreme species was carried out. Reduced glutathione (GSH) concentrations were comparable with those reported for other marsupial and eutherian species. An important finding was that the erythrocytes of the southern hairy nosed wombat regenerated GSH faster than the erythrocytes from its close relative, the common wombat. The activities of glutathione-S-transferase, NADH-methaemoglobin reductase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), showed similar levels and extents of variation as those observed in other marsupial and eutherian species. Catalase activities in the marsupials were lower than those measured in the two monotreme species and much lower than those reported in eutherian species. A negative correlation, significant at P < 0.05, was observed between GSH-Px and catalase activities in the RBC of the marsupials. Since both these enzymes "detoxify" H2O2, there appears to be a reciprocal relationship between the activities of these enzymes in marsupial RBC.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-05-2005
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2000
Start Date: 2019
End Date: 2022
Funder: Australian Research Council
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