ORCID Profile
0000-0002-9671-2138
Current Organisation
University of Queensland
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Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.220017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-05-2019
Publisher: American Society for Microbiology
Date: 07-01-2021
DOI: 10.1128/MRA.01213-20
Abstract: Nannizziopsis barbata is an emerging fungal pathogen capable of causing contagious dermatomycosis in reptiles. Here, we report a 31.54-Mb draft genome sequence of an isolate originating from an infected eastern water dragon in Brisbane, Australia.
Publisher: IEEE
Date: 12-2017
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 13-06-2019
Abstract: Numerous studies have observed kin-biased social associations in a variety of species. Many of these studies have focused on species exhibiting parental care, which may facilitate the transmission of the social environment from parents to offspring. This becomes problematic when disentangling whether kin-biased associations are driven by kin recognition, or are a product of transmission of the social environment during ontogeny, or a combination of both. Studying kin-biased associations in systems that lack parental care may aid in addressing this issue. Furthermore, when studying kin-biased social associations, it is important to differentiate whether these originate from preferential choice or occur randomly as a result of habitat use or limited dispersal. Here, we combined high-resolution single-nucleotide polymorphism data with a long-term behavioral data set of a reptile with no parental care to demonstrate that eastern water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii) bias their nonrandom social associations toward their kin. In particular, we found that although the overall social network was not linked to genetic relatedness, in iduals associated with kin more than expected given availability in space and also biased social preferences toward kin. This result opens important opportunities for the study of kinship-driven associations without the confounding effect of vertical transmission of social environments. Furthermore, we present a robust multiple-step approach for determining whether kin-biased social associations are a result of active social decisions or random encounters resulting from habitat use and dispersal patterns.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-09-2022
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.16676
Abstract: The koala, one of the most iconic Australian wildlife species, is facing several concomitant threats that are driving population declines. Some threats are well known and have clear methods of prevention (e.g., habitat loss can be reduced with stronger land‐clearing control), whereas others are less easily addressed. One of the major current threats to koalas is chlamydial disease, which can have major impacts on in idual survival and reproduction rates and can translate into population declines. Effective management strategies for the disease in the wild are currently lacking, and, to date, we know little about the determinants of in idual susceptibility to disease. Here, we investigated the genetic basis of variation in susceptibility to chlamydia using one of the most intensively studied wild koala populations. We combined data from veterinary examinations, chlamydia testing, genetic s ling and movement monitoring. Out of our s le of 342 wild koalas, 60 were found to have chlamydia. Using genotype information on 5007 SNPs to investigate the role of genetic variation in determining disease status, we found no evidence of inbreeding depression, but a heritability of 0.11 (95% CI: 0.06–0.23) for the probability that koalas had chlamydia. Heritability of susceptibility to chlamydia could be relevant for future disease management, as it suggests adaptive potential for the population.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-2010
DOI: 10.3732/AJB.1000300
Abstract: Microsatellite loci were developed to characterize genetic variation and population sub ision in Khaya senegalensis (Desr.) A. Juss. (Meliaceae). • Microsatellite loci were identified from genomic DNA sequences generated using the 454 GS-FLX titanium platform. Primers were designed for 67 tri- and tetranucleotide repeats, of which 20 were selected for 2 multiplexes based on lification success and band size. Eleven of these loci showed polymorphism in two populations of Khaya senegalensis and lified in in iduals from across the species range. • These new microsatellite loci will be useful for investigation of the evolutionary and conservation genetics of Khaya senegalensis.
Publisher: Authorea, Inc.
Date: 10-06-2022
DOI: 10.22541/AU.165485737.71827018/V1
Abstract: Potential sub ision events in populations can have a wide range of causes: from natural disasters like bushfires that isolate communities, to anthropogenic disturbances like infrastructure projects cutting through a population’s habitat. Due to the unpredictability inherent in events like bushfires, or even for predictable events such as property development, populations affected by these potential sub isions are often not studied until after the event, making it extremely hard to assess negative conservation impacts without the benefit of prior data. This paper aims to apply population genetics methods to assess whether it is possible to accurately assess the impact a potential sub ision event can have on the genetic makeup of a population, especially when one has no data prior to such an event. Differentiation measures, such as Fst, might be used for detecting whether a population has been sub ided. However, these measures often take dozens of generations to show a significant change from zero (i.e., no differentiation), especially in larger populations. In this paper we present a more sensitive method, which is suitable for detecting sub ision effects within a few generations of the event and which can be applied without prior data. We test this method using both simulated data, and genetic data from a population of koalas impacted by a railroad infrastructure development.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2015
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 07-07-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.07.06.451394
Abstract: Microchromosomes, once considered unimportant shreds of the chicken genome, are gene rich elements with a high GC content and few transposable elements. Their origin has been debated for decades. We used cytological and whole genome sequence comparisons, and chromosome conformation capture, to trace their origin and fate in genomes of reptiles, birds and mammals. We find that microchromosomes as well as macrochromosomes are highly conserved across birds, and share synteny with single small chromosomes of the chordate hioxus, attesting to their origin as elements of an ancient animal genome. Turtles and squamates (snakes and lizards) share different subsets of ancestral microchromosomes, having independently lost microchromosomes by fusion with other microchromosomes or macrochromosomes. Patterns of fusions were quite different in different lineages. Cytological observations show that microchromosomes in all lineages are spatially separated into a central compartment at interphase and during mitosis and meiosis. This reflects higher interaction between microchromosomes than with macrochromosomes, as observed by chromosome conformation capture, and suggests some functional coherence. In highly rearranged genomes fused microchromosomes retain most ancestral characteristics, but these may erode over evolutionary time surprisingly de novo microchromosomes have rapidly adopted high interaction. Some chromosomes of early branching monotreme mammals align to several bird microchromosomes, suggesting multiple microchromosome fusions in a mammalian ancestor. Subsequently multiple rearrangements fueled the extraordinary karyotypic ersity of therian mammals. Thus microchromosomes, far from being aberrant genetic elements, represent fundamental building blocks of amniote chromosomes, and it is mammals, rather than reptiles, that are atypical. Genomes of birds and reptiles, but not mammals, consist of a few large chromosomes and many tiny microchromosomes. Once considered unimportant shreds of the genome, microchromosomes are gene rich and highly conserved among bird and reptiles, and share homology with one or more of the tiny chromosomes of an invertebrate that erged from the vertebrate lineage 684 million years ago. Microchromosomes interact strongly and crowd together at the centre of cells, suggesting functional coherence. Many microchromosomes have been lost independently in turtles, snakes and lizards as they have fused with each other, or with larger chromosomes. In mammals they have completely disappeared, yet some chromosomes of the basal platypus line up with several microchromosomes, suggesting that they are the building blocks of the atypically variable chromosomes of mammals.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-03-2023
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.16877
Abstract: The genetic consequences of the sub ision of populations are regarded as significant to long‐term evolution, and research has shown that the scale and speed at which this is now occurring is critically reducing the adaptive potential of most species which inhabit human‐impacted landscapes. Here, we provide a rare and, to our knowledge, the first analysis of this process while it is happening and demonstrate a method of evaluating the effect of mitigation measures such as fauna crossings. We did this by using an extensive genetic data set collected from a koala population which was intensely monitored during the construction of linear transport infrastructure which resulted in the sub ision of their population. First, we found that both allelic richness and effective population size decreased through the process of population sub ision. Second, we predicted the extent to which genetic drift could impact genetic ersity over time and showed that after only 10 generations the resulting two sub ided populations could experience between 12% and 69% loss in genetic ersity. Lastly, using forward simulations we estimated that a minimum of eight koalas would need to disperse from each side of the sub ision per generation to maintain genetic connectivity close to zero but that 16 koalas would ensure that both genetic connectivity and ersity remained unchanged. These results have important consequences for the genetic management of species in human‐impacted landscapes by showing which genetic metrics are best to identify immediate loss in genetic ersity and how to evaluate the effectiveness of any mitigation measures.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 25-08-2010
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 30-10-2021
Abstract: Examining the social behaviors of solitary species can be challenging due to the rarity in which interactions occur and the large and often inaccessible areas which these animals inhabit. As shared space-use is a prerequisite for the expression of social behaviors, we can gain insights into the social environments of solitary species by examining the degree of spatial overlap between in iduals. Over a 10-year period, we examined how spatial overlap amongst 105 estuarine crocodiles Crocodylus porosus was influenced by season, sex, and movement tactic. We discovered that crocodiles displayed highly consistent spatial overlaps with conspecifics between months and across years. Furthermore, male crocodiles that exhibited a greater degree of site fidelity displayed more stable social environments, while females and males that were less site-attached had more dynamic social environments with spatial overlaps between conspecifics peaking during the mating season. Our results demonstrate how long-term tracking of multiple in iduals within the same population can be used to quantify the spatial structure and social environment of cryptic and solitary species.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2012
DOI: 10.1016/J.YMPEV.2012.06.026
Abstract: The distinction between native and introduced flora within isolated land masses presents unique challenges. The geological and colonisation history of Australia, the world's largest island, makes it a valuable system for studying species endemism, introduction, and phylogeny. Using this strategy we investigated Australian cosmopolitan grasses belonging to the genus Cynodon. While it is believed that seven species of Cynodon are present in Australia, no genetic analyses have investigated the origin, ersity and phylogenetic history of Cynodon within Australia. To address this gap, 147 s les (92 from across Australia and 55 representing global distribution) were sequenced for a total of 3336bp of chloroplast DNA spanning six genes. Data showed the presence of at least six putatively introduced Cynodon species (C. transvaalensis, C. incompletus, C. hirsutus, C. radiatus, C. plectostachyus and C. dactylon) in Australia and suggested multiple recent introductions. C. plectostachyus, a species often confused with C. nlemfuensis, was not previously considered to be present in Australia. Most significantly, we identified two common haplotypes that formed a monophyletic clade erging from previously identified Cynodon species. We hypothesise that these two haplotypes may represent a previously undescribed species of Cynodon. We provide further evidence that two Australian native species, Brachyachne tenella and B. convergens belong in the genus Cynodon and, therefore, argue for the taxonomic revision of the genus Cynodon.
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 11-2010
Abstract: The evolutionary forces that drive fitness variation in species are of considerable interest. Despite this, the relative importance and interactions of genetic and social factors involved in the evolution of fitness traits in wild mammalian populations are largely unknown. To date, a few studies have demonstrated that fitness might be influenced by either social factors or genes in natural populations, but none have explored how the combined effect of social and genetic parameters might interact to influence fitness. Drawing from a long-term study of wild bottlenose dolphins in the eastern gulf of Shark Bay, Western Australia, we present a unique approach to understanding these interactions. Our study shows that female calving success depends on both genetic inheritance and social bonds. Moreover, we demonstrate that interactions between social and genetic factors also influence female fitness. Therefore, our study represents a major methodological advance, and provides critical insights into the interplay of genetic and social parameters of fitness.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 11-12-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-05-2021
Abstract: The niche describes the ecological and social environment that an organism lives in, as well as the behavioural tactics used to interact with its environment. A species niche is key to both ecological and evolutionary processes, including speciation, and has therefore been a central focus in ecology. Recent evidence, however, points to considerable in idual variation in a species' or population's niche use, although how this variation evolves or is maintained remains unclear. We used a large longitudinal dataset to investigate the drivers and maintenance of in idual variation in bottlenose dolphins' Tursiops aduncus niche. Specifically, we (a) characterised the extent of in idual differences in habitat use, (b) identified whether there were maternal effects associated with this variation and (c) investigated the relationship between habitat use and calving success, a component of reproductive fitness. By examining patterns of habitat use, we provide evidence that in idual dolphins vary consistently between one another in their niche. We further show that such in idual variation is driven by a strong maternal effect. Finally, habitat use and calving success were not related, suggesting that use of different habitats results in similar fitness outcomes. Niche partitioning, maintained by maternal effects, likely facilitates the coexistence of multiple ecotypes within this population.
Publisher: Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.7882/AZ.2019.030
Abstract: In conservation, consistent and extensive under-funding has necessitated creative thinking to address conservation issues on a low budget, and innovations are burgeoning as a result. One ex le is the use of dogs that, thanks to their heightened olfactory abilities and bond with humans, are trained to detect odours of interest to conservationists. Conservation dogs have proven to repeatedly outperform alternative survey methods in terms of accuracy, efficiency and/or cost. They have now been used for the detection of endangered and invasive species, fauna and flora, direct and indirect (e.g. scat) targets, on land and at sea, across every continent and most taxa from fire ants to whales. Here, we emphasise the versatility of detection dogs through their multiple uses applied to one species, the koala Phascolarctos cinereus . We selected, trained, tested and deployed five dogs two for koala habitat (koala scats), one for genetic s ling (fresh scats only), one for the koala itself and one for koala disease ( Chlamydia spp. ) detection. Dogs enabled both large-scale and fine-scale survey design, with 2370 surveys performed, and 1479 genetic s les collected to date. Detection dogs are subject to similar (although sometimes much lower) limitations in terms of survey biases (e.g. in idual or environmental conditions) and, importantly, detection dog/handler teams need to be tested regularly for accuracy. Nonetheless, detection dogs can, and are, helping researchers and land managers to collect more robust datasets and better inform conservation decisions. Alliances with unexpected partners in conservation (such as with police forces), citizen science, and timeshare use of dogs might improve the democratisation of their use and enable conservation detection dogs to fulfil their astonishing potential.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-07-2019
DOI: 10.1111/ACV.12528
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 29-06-2011
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 25-11-2013
Publisher: Authorea, Inc.
Date: 22-09-2022
DOI: 10.22541/AU.166385168.88835660/V1
Abstract: Infectious fungal diseases can have devastating effects on wildlife health and our ability to detect emerging fungal pathogens in the wild is considered indispensable for effective management strategies. Several fungi from the genus Nannizziopsis and Paranannizziopsis are emerging pathogens of reptiles and have been observed to cause disease in a wide range of taxa. Nannizziopsis barbatae has become a particularly important pathogen of Australian reptiles with an increasing number of herpetofauna being reported with cases of infection from across the country. Here, we report a species-specific qPCR assay for the rapid detection of N. barbatae and demonstrate its application in a wild urban population of a dragon lizard. In addition, we present the mitochondrial genome sequences and phylogenetic analysis for seven species in this group of fungi to support further research into the evolutionary ecology of these emerging pathogens.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-03-2017
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.14042
Abstract: Some of the best evidence for rapid evolutionary change comes from studies of archipelagos and oceanic islands. City parks are analogous systems as they create geographically isolated green spaces that differ in size, structure and complexity. Very little, however, is known about whether city parks within a single urban centre drive selection and result in the ersification of native species. Here, we provide evidence for the rapid genetic and morphological differentiation of a native lizard (Intellagama lesueurii) at four geographically close yet unconnected parks within one city. Year of establishment of each city park varied from 1855 (oldest) to 2001 (youngest) equating to a generation time range of 32 to three generations. Genetic ergence among city park populations was large despite the small pairwise geographic distances (<5 km) and found to be two to three times higher for microsatellites and three to 33 times higher for mtDNA relative to nonurban populations. Patterns of morphological differentiation were also found to be most extensive among the four city park populations. In contrast to nonurban populations, city park populations showed significant differentiation in relative body size, relative head and limb morphology and relative forelimb and hindlimb length. Crucially, we show that these patterns of differentiation are unlikely to have been caused by founder events and/or drift alone. Our results suggest that city park 'archipelagos' could represent theatres for rapid evolution that may, in time, favour adaptive ersification.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S00265-023-03303-Z
Abstract: In species where conflict is costly, in iduals adopt alternative movement tactics to minimise the risk of competitive interactions. Dominant males often maintain defined territories, while less competitive males may be forced to adopt alternative tactics to maximise fitness and reduce conflict. However, the extent to which males switch tactics according to current social or physiological status is poorly understood. Using implanted acoustic tags and a fixed array of tracking receivers, we investigated how the behaviour of 78 male estuarine crocodiles ( Crocodylus porosus ) shifted over an 11-year period in relation to ontogeny, body condition, and the extent of physical injuries. We discovered that male crocodiles sorted into three common movement classes, with 51% of males maintaining the same movement class across consecutive years (max = 9 years). Males 4 m in total length maintained confined territories both within and across years and had the greatest extent of injuries and the highest condition score, indicative of territory holders. In contrast, smaller males sorted into high movement roamer or low movement site-philopatric tactics, where the tactic an in idual adopted was less stable between years and did not correlate with condition or external injuries. Our study reveals the socio-biological mechanisms by which estuarine crocodiles coexist within a restricted habitat. Identifying in idual-level differences in movement helps us predict which in iduals are more likely to be involved in human-wildlife interactions. However, studying long-term shifts in movement is challenging, as large datasets of co-occurring in iduals tracked in their natural environment over multiple years are required. We tracked a population of 78 male estuarine crocodiles (1030–4687 mm total length) in a shared environment over 11 years and assessed how eight movement traits were linked to body size and physical condition. At the population level, males sorted into different movement tactics according to ontogeny, with large territorial males having better body condition yet a greater incidence of injury. However, 49% of males showed variability across years, suggesting that tactics were conditional relative to environmental variability and a male’s own status. Our study provides insights into the mechanisms and costs of movement tactics in wild crocodile populations.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2010
DOI: 10.3732/AJB.1000254
Abstract: Cynodon species are multiple-use grasses that display varying levels of adaptation to biotic and abiotic stress. Previously identified EST-SSR primers were characterized and multiplexed to assess the level of genetic ersity present within a collection of almost 1200 Cynodon accessions from across Australia. • Two multiplex reactions were developed comprising a total of 16 EST-SSR markers. All SSR markers lified across different Cynodon species and different levels of ploidy. The number of alleles ranged from one to eight per locus and the total number of alleles for the germplasm collection was 79. • The 16 markers show sufficient variation for the characterization of Cynodon core collections and analysis of population genetic ersity in Cynodon grasses.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2010
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-03-2015
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.1447
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 19-07-2010
Abstract: We present herein a novel design and the efficient synthesis towards a "homogeneous" starburst fluorene system based on the novel 2,3,7,8,12,13-hexaaryltruxene scaffold. Controlled microwave heating provides a facile and powerful approach for each step in the synthesis of these bulky materials with large steric hindrance, suggesting an avenue to access structurally well-defined complex organic semiconductors (OSCs) rapidly and conveniently with high yield and purity. The resulting materials exhibited good thermal stability and an excellent glassy structure as revealed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as well as wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) studies. Moreover, compared with their corresponding three-arm-substituted counterparts T1-T4, the introduction of the ortho substituents around the truxene core in Tr1-Tr4 results in significant blueshifts (of 7-24 nm) of the absorption maxima lambda(max) and higher energy optical gaps (E(g)). Comparative studies with corresponding linear, rod-shaped oligofluorene counterparts (OFX) have revealed that the longest para-conjugated segment in the TrX (X=1-4) structures plays the dominant role in determining their electronic properties. UV/Vis data and cyclic voltammetry (CV) investigations have indicated that there is little electronic interaction between the arms, even for the shortest armed oligomer Tr1. A clear linear relationship of both 1/lambda(max) and E(g) with the inverse of (n+1) for these branched systems was found. Our findings highlight a novel molecular design comprising an ortho-substituted, multiarmed architecture that would allow the introduction of isotropic physical and/or mechanical properties, while at the same time maintaining most of the important electronic properties of the rod-shaped constituents of a fully conjugated system.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2012
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Date: 08-2019
DOI: 10.1086/704089
Abstract: In iduals should alter when they socially associate with conspecifics to avoid potentially costly interactions. Moreover, in iduals may vary in their propensity to use information about conspecifics when making such social decisions. However, surprisingly little is known about either the determinants of or the in idual variation in such "social plasticity." We show here that eastern water dragons (
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-10-2019
DOI: 10.1111/ACV.12455
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 24-10-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.10.22.465237
Abstract: Emerging infectious fungal diseases (EIFDs) represent a major conservation concern worldwide. Here, we provide early insights into the potential threat that Nannizziopsis barbatae ( Nb ), a novel EIFD, poses to Australian herpetological bio ersity. First known to the reptile pet trade as a primary pathogen causing untreatable severe dermatomycosis, since 2013, Nb has emerged in a growing number of phylogenetically and ecologically distant free-living reptiles across Australia. Observing its emergence in a long-term study population of wild eastern water dragons ( Intellagama lesueurii ), we demonstrate the pathogen’s virulence-related genomic features, within-population spatiotemporal spread, and survival costs, all of which imply that Nb could pose a threat to Australian reptiles in the future. Our findings highlight the need to closely monitor this pathogen in Australian ecosystems.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-05-2019
Abstract: Wildlife diseases are a recognized driver of global bio ersity loss, have substantial economic impacts, and are increasingly becoming a threat to human health. Disease surveillance is critical but remains difficult in the wild due to the substantial costs and potential biases associated with most disease detection methods. Noninvasive scat surveys have been proposed as a health monitoring methodology to overcome some of these limitations. Here, we use the known threat of Chlamydia disease to the iconic, yet vulnerable, koala Phascolarctos cinereus to compare three methods for Chlamydia detection in scats: multiplex quantitative PCR, next generation sequencing, and a detection dog specifically trained on scats from Chlamydia-infected koalas. All three methods demonstrated 100% specificity, while sensitivity was variable. Of particular interest is the variable sensitivity of these diagnostic tests to detect sick in iduals (i.e., not only infection as confirmed by Chlamydia-positive swabs, but with observable clinical signs of the disease) for koalas with urogenital tract disease signs, sensitivity was 78% with quantitative PCR, 50% with next generation genotyping and 100% with the detection dog method. This may be due to molecular methods having to rely on high-quality DNA whereas the dog most likely detects volatile organic compounds. The most appropriate diagnostic test will vary with disease prevalence and the specific aims of disease surveillance. Acknowledging that detection dogs might not be easily accessible to all, the future development of affordable and portable "artificial noses" to detect diseases from scats in the field might enable cost-effective, rapid and large-scale disease surveillance.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 05-06-2019
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-2019
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.15240
Abstract: Urbanisation is one of the most significant threats to bio ersity, due to the rapid and large‐scale environmental alterations it imposes on the natural landscape. It is, therefore, imperative that we understand the consequences of and mechanisms by which, species can respond to it. In recent years, research has shown that plasticity of the gut microbiome may be an important mechanism by which animals can adapt to environmental change, yet empirical evidence of this in wild non‐model species remains sparse. Using an empirical replicated study system, we show that city life alters the gut microbiome and stable isotope profiling of a wild native non‐model species – the eastern water dragon ( Intellagama lesueurii ) in Queensland, Australia. City dragons exhibit a more erse gut microbiome than their native habitat counterparts and show gut microbial signatures of a high fat and plant rich diet. Additionally, we also show that city dragons have elevated levels of the Nitrogen‐15 isotope in their blood suggesting that a city diet, which incorporates novel anthropogenic food sources, may also be richer in protein. These results highlight the role that gut microbial plasticity plays in an animals' response to human‐altered landscapes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2018
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2008
DOI: 10.1071/MF07120
Abstract: Humpback dolphins (Sousa spp.) have a wide distribution in the tropical Atlantic and Indo-Pacific Oceans and a confused taxonomy. Morphological assessments suggest three species groupings – Sousa teuszii (eastern Atlantic), Sousa plumbea (western Indo-Pacific), and Sousa chinensis (eastern Indo-Pacific) – but most taxonomies recognise only two species – S. chinensis (Indo-Pacific), and S. teuszii (Atlantic). To investigate phylogenetic relationships, mitochondrial DNA control region sequences (338 base pairs) from 72 Sousa representing three populations in the Indo-Pacific (South Africa: S. plumbea, n = 23 China: S. chinensis, n = 19 and Australia: S. chinensis, n = 28), and S. teuszii in the Atlantic (Mauritania, n = 2) were generated. All three Indo-Pacific populations formed robust, monophyletic clades with high bootstrap (BS) and Bayesian posterior probability (BPP) scores. Surprisingly, humpback dolphins from South Africa and China formed a strongly-supported clade with the Atlantic S. teuszii (BS 63%, BPP 0.92) to the exclusion of animals from Australia. Genetic ergence between animals from China and Australia (DA = 8.4% ± 2.47%) was greater than between China and South Africa (DA = 5.1% ± 1.80%). These results strongly suggest that Australian humpback dolphins are not S. chinensis but may represent a distinct species in their own right.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 06-2023
DOI: 10.1007/S00265-023-03348-0
Abstract: Natural selection for territoriality is theorised to occur under conditions favouring intra-sexual phenotypic variation in physiology, morphology, and behaviour. In this context, certain suites of behavioural traits associated with territoriality are expected to consistently covary among in iduals (sometimes referred to as ‘behavioural syndromes’) within sexes. Agonism (conflict-associated behaviours that may or may not be associated with physical aggression) and movement—for ex le, ranging, or relocation within or across seasons—are two behavioural components that are associated with territoriality and may be expected to covary in this context. Territorial males are expected to employ agonistic behaviours to actively establish and defend areas and resources and show more stability in their location across the landscape. However, the interaction between agonism and movement especially for wild reptiles has rarely been tested. We investigated whether agonistic and movement behaviours correlate at the in idual level both within one year and across multiple years, in a wild population of Australian eastern water dragons, Intellagama lesueurii . Although both types of behaviours exhibited among-in idual repeatability over year and multi-year scales, we found no evidence of an agonistic-movement behavioural syndrome. These findings indicate that agonistic and movement behaviours are likely independent traits, and thus, territoriality may not drive shared selective pressures for both. It is possible that other social behaviours and strategies are in place to maintain social structure in this wild population. Males of many animals establish and maintain or defend territories. Territory defence is expected to be associated with behaviours associated with conflict or expressions of dominance, to signal territory boundaries to encroaching in iduals, or more aggressive approaches for active defence. We investigated whether such agonistic behaviours correlated with the distances in iduals ranged or dispersed within and between years, as an indicator of territoriality. Through thousands of observations of a wild population of Australian eastern water dragons, Intellagama lesueurii , we found that although in iduals showed repeatable patterns of both agonistic and movement behaviours, we found no evidence that these were correlated. It appears that territory establishment and defence may therefore not rely on agonistic signals in this species in direct contrast to other taxa, indicating that other systems are in place to maintain social structures.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 23-05-2019
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.5265
Abstract: Genetic ersity is essential for populations to adapt to changing environments. Measures of genetic ersity are often based on selectively neutral markers, such as microsatellites. Genetic ersity to guide conservation management, however, is better reflected by adaptive markers, including genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). Our aim was to assess MHC and neutral genetic ersity in two contrasting bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops aduncus ) populations in Western Australia—one apparently viable population with high reproductive output (Shark Bay) and one with lower reproductive output that was forecast to decline (Bunbury). We assessed genetic variation in the two populations by sequencing the MHC class II DQB, which encompasses the functionally important peptide binding regions (PBR). Neutral genetic ersity was assessed by genotyping twenty‐three microsatellite loci. We confirmed that MHC is an adaptive marker in both populations. Overall, the Shark Bay population exhibited greater MHC ersity than the Bunbury population—for ex le, it displayed greater MHC nucleotide ersity. In contrast, the difference in microsatellite ersity between the two populations was comparatively low. Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that viable populations typically display greater genetic ersity than less viable populations. The results also suggest that MHC variation is more closely associated with population viability than neutral genetic variation. Although the inferences from our findings are limited, because we only compared two populations, our results add to a growing number of studies that highlight the usefulness of MHC as a potentially suitable genetic marker for animal conservation. The Shark Bay population, which carries greater adaptive genetic ersity than the Bunbury population, is thus likely more robust to natural or human‐induced changes to the coastal ecosystem it inhabits.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-09-2015
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 11-10-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2018
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 14-04-2010
Abstract: In wild populations, inbreeding tolerance is expected to evolve where the cost of avoidance exceeds that of tolerance. We show that in a wild population of bottlenose dolphins found in East Shark Bay, Western Australia, levels of inbreeding are higher than expected by chance alone, and demonstrate that inbreeding is deleterious to female fitness in two independent ways. We found that inbred females, and females with inbred calves, have reduced fitness (lower calving success). We further show that one of the costs of inbreeding is extended weaning age, and that females' earlier calves are more likely to be inbred. While the exact causes of inbreeding remain obscure, our results indicate that one factor is female age, and thus experience. Any inbreeding avoidance mechanisms such as female evasion of kin, or male dispersal, do not seem to be completely effective in this population, which supports the view that inbreeding avoidance does not always evolve wherever inbreeding incurs a cost.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-10-2021
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-07-2012
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-2011
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-06-2020
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.15488
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2014
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 08-2017
DOI: 10.1098/RSOS.170641
Abstract: Animal sociality is of significant interest to evolutionary and behavioural ecologists, with efforts focused on the patterns, causes and fitness outcomes of social preference. However, in idual social patterns are the consequence of both attraction to (preference for) and avoidance of conspecifics. Despite this, social avoidance has received far less attention than social preference. Here, we detail the necessary steps to generate a spatially explicit, iterative null model which can be used to identify non-random social avoidance in longitudinal studies of social animals. We specifically identify and detail parameters which will influence the validity of the model. To test the usability of this model, we applied it to two longitudinal studies of social animals (Eastern water dragons ( Intellegama lesueurii ) and bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops aduncus )) to identify the presence of social avoidances. Using this model allowed us to identify the presence of social avoidances in both species. We hope that the framework presented here inspires interest in addressing this critical gap in our understanding of animal sociality, in turn allowing for a more holistic understanding of social interactions, relationships and structure.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 28-02-2016
DOI: 10.1111/ACV.12263
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 21-08-2018
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 02-07-2014
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-12-2010
Publisher: Authorea, Inc.
Date: 28-03-2023
DOI: 10.22541/AU.167999582.25835127/V1
Abstract: Perched high up in a Eucalyptus tree, swaying from side to side, lies a sleepy koala unaware of the means spent each year trying to obtain accurate baseline information about its presence. We have thrown all we could at it, from wildlife surveys to night spotting, bioacoustics, detection dogs, and drones equipped with thermal cameras. Yet, whilst critical to its conservation and management efforts, finding a koala remains an ambitious, time-consuming, and costly endeavour often producing insufficient results. However, little did we know that traces of koalas’ presence and that of its predators along with other native, domesticated, and invasive species, float in the air and can be detected using metagenomics. This study and despite high levels of co-s led non-target DNA (e.g. humans and domesticated animals) confirms that koalas, species belonging to the wallaby and possum family and threats such as domestic dogs (a major predator contributing to koala population declines) can successfully be detected by s ling airborne particles. Together, it demonstrates the potential of airborne eDNA for the detection of terrestrial wildlife under natural conditions and presents achievable optimisation steps to increase its field applicability and validity.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-08-2017
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-017-07419-X
Abstract: Captive breeding programs and aquaculture production have commenced worldwide for the globally distributed yellowtail kingfish ( Seriola lalandi ), and captive bred fingerlings are being shipped from the Southern Hemisphere to be farmed in the Northern Hemisphere. It was recently proposed that Pacific S . lalandi comprise at least three distinct species that erged more than 2 million years ago. Here, we tested the hypothesis of different “species” in the Pacific using novel genomic data (namely single nucleotide polymorphisms and ersity array technology markers), as well as mtDNA and DNA microsatellite variation. These new data support the hypothesis of population sub ision between the Northeast Pacific, Northwest Pacific and South Pacific, and genetic ergence indicates restriction to the gene flow between hemispheres. However, our estimates of maximum mtDNA and nuclear DNA ergences of 2.43% and 0.67%, respectively, were within the ranges more commonly observed for populations within species than species within genera. Accordingly our data support the more traditional view that S . lalandi in the Pacific comprises three distinct populations rather than the sub isions into several species.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 23-10-2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 09-05-2022
Abstract: Resource competition among conspecifics is central to social evolution, as it serves as one of the primary selective pressures of group living. This is because the degree of competition for resources impacts the costs and benefits of social interactions. Despite this, how heterogeneity in resource competition drives variation in the type and quantity of long-term social relationships in iduals foster has been overlooked. By measuring male mating competition and female foraging competition in a highly social, long-lived mammal, we demonstrate that in idual variation in long-term intrasexual social relationships covaries with preferred habitat and experienced resource competition, and this effect differs based on the sex of the in idual. Specifically, greater resource competition resulted in fewer social preferences, but the magnitude of the effect varied by both habitat and sex, whereas for social avoidances, both the directionality and magnitude of the effect of resource competition varied by habitat and sex. Together our work shows how fine-scale variation in in idual socioecological niches (i.e., unique physical and social environments) can drive extensive variation in in idual social behavior (here long-term relationships) within a population, thereby broadening current theories of social evolution.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-02-2015
DOI: 10.1038/SREP08349
Abstract: Accurate data on presence/absence and spatial distribution for fauna species is key to their conservation. Collecting such data, however, can be time consuming, laborious and costly, in particular for fauna species characterised by low densities, large home ranges, cryptic or elusive behaviour. For such species, including koalas ( Phascolarctos cinereus ), indicators of species presence can be a useful shortcut: faecal pellets (scats), for instance, are widely used. Scat surveys are not without their difficulties and often contain a high false negative rate. We used experimental and field-based trials to investigate the accuracy and efficiency of the first dog specifically trained for koala scats. The detection dog consistently out-performed human-only teams. Off-leash, the dog detection rate was 100%. The dog was also 19 times more efficient than current scat survey methods and 153% more accurate (the dog found koala scats where the human-only team did not). This clearly demonstrates that the use of detection dogs decreases false negatives and survey time, thus allowing for a significant improvement in the quality and quantity of data collection. Given these unequivocal results, we argue that to improve koala conservation, detection dog surveys for koala scats could in the future replace human-only teams.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 10-08-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2012
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 28-07-2023
DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.26.550239
Abstract: Co-ordinated regulation or dysregulation of chromatin architecture underpins fundamental biological processes, such as embryonic development, disease, cellular programming and response to environmental stress. The dynamic and plastic nature of chromatin accessibility is a major driver of phenotypic ersity, but we know shockingly little about the temporal dynamics of chromatin reorganisation and almost nothing prior to the existence of flash-frozen specimens. Linking two disparate fields by their common use and application of the preservative formaldehyde, we present an approach to characterise chromatin architecture in formaldehyde-preserved specimens up to 117 years old. We characterise how over-fixation modulates but does not eliminate genome-wide patterns of differential chromatin accessibility. Our novel analytical approach identifies promoter regions enriched for gene ontology terms matching the tissue of origin, resulting in sex-specific and environment-dependent genome-wide profiles. Contrary to prevailing dogma, we show that over-fixation is essential for the successful recovery of historical chromatin architecture. Our methodological and analytical advances open the door to the first detailed and comprehensive view of the epigenetic past and reveal a new role for museum collections in understanding chromatin architecture dynamics over the last century.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1093/JUE/JUZ005
Abstract: Urban environments present some of the greatest challenges to species survival. This is particularly true for species that exhibit thermally sensitive traits, such as temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD). This is because urban environments not only present species with entirely novel ecosystems, but species will also experience increased temperatures. These temperature increases may result not only in offspring mortality, but also skewed population sex ratios. To persist in cities, urban dwellers with TSD will therefore need to adjust the temperature of the nesting environment, either through phenotypic plasticity or rapid evolution through natural selection. Here, we investigate the nesting ecology of a long-lived, urban dwelling reptile, the eastern water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii), to understand how a TSD species may respond to urban environments. Based on data collected from 72 nests over 2 nesting seasons, we show that city dragons not only dug significantly deeper nests than previously observed across their natural riparian habitat, but also nested in novel substrates. Furthermore, we observed a behaviour not previously described in this species, where mothers travel outside of their core home range to nest. This excursion behaviour potentially represents a greater maternal investment and is linked to the selection of specific microhabitats.
Publisher: Authorea, Inc.
Date: 25-07-2022
DOI: 10.22541/AU.165874643.34577990/V1
Abstract: The koala, one of the most iconic Australian wildlife species, is facing several concomitant threats that are driving population declines. Some threats are well known and have clear methods of prevention (e.g. habitat loss can be reduced with stronger land-clearing control), whereas others are less easily addressed. One of the major current threats to koalas is chlamydial disease, which can have major impacts on in idual survival and reproduction rates, and can translate into population declines. Effective management strategies for the disease in the wild are currently lacking, and to date we know little about the determinants of in idual susceptibility to disease. Here we used a rare opportunity to investigate the genetic basis of variation in susceptibility to chlamydia using one of the most intensively studied wild koala populations. We combine data from veterinary examinations, chlamydia testing, genetic s ling and movement monitoring. Out of our s le of 342 wild koalas, 60 were found to have chlamydia. Using genotype information on 8649 SNPs to investigate the role of genetic characteristics in determining disease status, we found no evidence of inbreeding depression, but a heritability of 0.14 (95%CI: 0.06 – 0.23) for the probability that koalas had chlamydia. Heritability of susceptibility to chlamydia could be relevant for future disease management in koalas, as it suggests the potential to select for disease resilience through assisted breeding.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-02-2013
DOI: 10.1038/NCOMMS2450
Abstract: The production of adequate agricultural outputs to support the growing human population places great demands on agriculture, especially in light of ever-greater restrictions on input resources. Sorghum is a drought-adapted cereal capable of reliable production where other cereals fail, and thus represents a good candidate to address food security as agricultural inputs of water and arable land grow scarce. A long-standing issue with sorghum grain is that it has an inherently lower digestibility. Here we show that a low-frequency allele type in the starch metabolic gene, pullulanase, is associated with increased digestibility, regardless of genotypic background. We also provide evidence that the beneficial allele type is not associated with deleterious pleiotropic effects in the modern field environment. We argue that increasing the digestibility of an adapted crop is a viable way forward towards addressing food security while maximizing water and land-use efficiency.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 20-05-2020
Abstract: In polyandrous species, sexual selection extends beyond mating competition to selection for egg fertilization. As a result, the degree to which factors influencing mating success impact overall reproductive success becomes variable. Here, we used a longitudinal behavioural and genetic dataset for a population of eastern water dragons ( Intellagama lesueurii ) to investigate the degree to which male dominance, a pre-mating selection trait, influences overall reproductive success, measured as the number of surviving offspring. Moreover, we examine the interactive effects with a genetic trait, in idual inbreeding, known to influence the reproductive success of males in this species. We found fitness benefits of male dominance, measured as body size and frequency of dominance behaviours displayed. However, in iduals' propensity to display dominance behaviours had mixed effects, depending on the degree of inbreeding. While inbred males benefited from frequent displays, highly outbred males exhibited better reproductive outputs when displaying to a lesser extent. Given that outbred males have enhanced reproductive success in this species, the costs of displaying dominance behaviours may outweigh the benefits. Overall, our results demonstrate the fitness benefits of dominance in a polyandrous lizard, and suggest that these are modulated by an independent genetic trait. Our results may contribute to explaining the presence of alternative mating tactics in this species, owing to the variability in net fitness benefits of dominance. Our findings also reveal the challenges associated with investigating fitness traits in isolation, which may undermine the validity of results when important interactions are ignored.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-02-2013
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 16-05-2014
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1155/2012/631856
Abstract: Establishing species distribution and population trends are basic requirements in conservation biology, yet acquiring this fundamental information is often difficult. Indirect survey methods that rely on fecal pellets (scats) can overcome some difficulties but present their own challenges. In particular, variation in scat detectability and decay rate can introduce biases. We studied how vegetation communities affect the detectability and decay rate of scats as exemplified by koalas Phascolarctos cinereus : scat detectability was highly and consistently dependent on ground layer complexity (introducing up to 16% non-detection bias) scat decay rates were highly heterogeneous within vegetation communities exposure of scats to surface water and rain strongly accelerated scat decay rate and finally, invertebrates were found to accelerate scat decay rate markedly, but unpredictably. This last phenomenon may explain the high variability of scat decay rate within a single vegetation community. Methods to decrease biases should be evaluated when planning scat surveys, as the most appropriate method(s) will vary depending on species, scale of survey and landscape characteristics. Detectability and decay biases are both stronger in certain vegetation communities, thus their combined effect is likely to introduce substantial errors in scat surveys and this could result in inappropriate and counterproductive management decisions.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-10-2014
DOI: 10.1038/SREP06572
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 05-06-2019
Abstract: Kinship plays a fundamental role in the evolution of social systems and is considered a key driver of group living. To understand the role of kinship in the formation and maintenance of social bonds, accurate measures of genetic relatedness are critical. Genotype-by-sequencing technologies are rapidly advancing the accuracy and precision of genetic relatedness estimates for wild populations. The ability to assign kinship from genetic data varies depending on a species' or population's mating system and pattern of dispersal, and empirical data from longitudinal studies are crucial to validate these methods. We use data from a long-term behavioural study of a polygynandrous, bisexually philopatric marine mammal to measure accuracy and precision of parentage and genetic relatedness estimation against a known partial pedigree. We show that with moderate but obtainable s le sizes of approximately 4,235 SNPs and 272 in iduals, highly accurate parentage assignments and genetic relatedness coefficients can be obtained. Additionally, we subs le our data to quantify how data availability affects relatedness estimation and kinship assignment. Lastly, we conduct a social network analysis to investigate the extent to which accuracy and precision of relatedness estimation improve statistical power to detect an effect of relatedness on social structure. Our results provide practical guidance for minimum s le sizes and sequencing depth for future studies, as well as thresholds for post hoc interpretation of previous analyses.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-10-2012
Publisher: Authorea, Inc.
Date: 21-03-2022
DOI: 10.22541/AU.164787523.38878185/V1
Abstract: Linear infrastructure stands as one of the main culprits of anthropogenically caused bio ersity decline. As it fragments landscapes, it ultimately results in a myriad of direct and indirect ecological consequences for wildlife. As transportation networks will continue to grow under increasing human population growth, bio ersity will continue to decline making the need to understand and mitigate their impact on species an urgent need for conservation worldwide. The implementation of mitigation measures to alleviate the barrier effect produced by linear transport infrastructure on local fauna is not new, and research has shown that their effectiveness has been shown to be influenced by their design, their placement and the biology of the impacted species. Our understanding of their effectiveness in preventing the longer-term impacts of linear transport infrastructure on habitat connectivity via gene flow, however, remains poorly understood. Here, we used a pre- and post-habitat fragmentation genetic dataset collected as part of an extensive Koala Management Program to ask questions about the immediate and predicted longer-term genetic consequences of linear transport infrastructure on the impacted species. Importantly, using forward migration simulations, we show that to preserve connectivity would need to result in around 20% of the population mixing to avoid long-term genetic drift. These results have important consequences for the management of species at the forefront of linear infrastructure. In particular, the study shows the importance of considering gene flow in our assessment of the effectiveness of fauna crossings.
Publisher: Authorea, Inc.
Date: 02-11-2022
DOI: 10.22541/AU.166739051.16123667/V1
Abstract: The study of the host-microbiome by the collection of non-invasive s les has the potential to become a powerful tool for conservation monitoring and surveillance of wildlife. However, multiple factors can bias the quality of data recovered from scats, particularly when field-collected s les are used given that the time of defecation is generally unknown and could have been as recent as hours, days, or weeks. Previous studies using scats have shown that exposure to aerobic conditions can compromise the microbial composition and that this rate of exposure differs between species. However, the impact that this aging process has on the relationship between the bacterial and fungal composition has yet to be explored. In this study, we measured the effects of time post-defecation on bacterial and fungal compositions and structures in a controlled experiment using scat s le from the endangered koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). We found that targeting the core of the scat for DNA extraction reduced the impact of oxygen exposure as we did not observe the previously reported reduction in obligate anaerobic bacteria nor an increase in facultative anaerobes even after aging for 10 days. We found that even though bacteria remain stable through the scat aging process, the fungal composition did not. We report a cluster of fungal taxa that colonises scats after defecation which can dilute the genetic material from the autochthonous mycoflora and inhibit recovery. Finally, we propose strategies to combat the effects of time and preserve the integrity of a scat s le collected in the wild.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 14-07-2020
Abstract: The juvenile period is a challenging life-history stage, especially in species with a high degree of fission–fusion dynamics, such as bottlenose dolphins, where maternal protection is virtually absent. Here, we examined how juvenile male and female bottlenose dolphins navigate this vulnerable period. Specifically, we examined their grouping patterns, activity budget, network dynamics, and social associations in the absence of adults. We found that juveniles live in highly dynamic groups, with group composition changing every 10 min on average. Groups were generally segregated by sex, and segregation was driven by same-sex preference rather than opposite-sex avoidance. Juveniles formed strong associations with select in iduals, especially kin and same-sex partners, and both sexes formed cliques with their preferred partners. Sex-specific strategies in the juvenile period reflected adult reproductive strategies, in which the exploration of potential social partners may be more important for males (which form long-term alliances in adulthood) than females (which preferentially associate with kin in adulthood). Females spent more time alone and were more focused on foraging than males, but still formed close same-sex associations, especially with kin. Males cast a wider social net than females, with strong same-sex associations and many male associates. Males engaged in more affiliative behavior than females. These results are consistent with the social bonds and skills hypothesis and suggest that delayed sexual maturity in species with relational social complexity may allow in iduals to assess potential associates and explore a complex social landscape without the risks associated with sexual maturity (e.g., adult reproductive competition inbreeding).
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-12-2022
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.8459
Abstract: Effective conservation requires accurate data on population genetic ersity, inbreeding, and genetic structure. Increasingly, scientists are adopting genetic non‐invasive s ling (gNIS) as a cost‐effective population‐wide genetic monitoring approach. gNIS has, however, known limitations which may impact the accuracy of downstream genetic analyses. Here, using high‐quality single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) data from blood/tissue s ling of a free‐ranging koala population ( n = 430), we investigated how the reduced SNP panel size and call rate typical of genetic non‐invasive s les (derived from experimental and field trials) impacts the accuracy of genetic measures, and also the effect of s ling intensity on these measures. We found that gNIS at small s le sizes (14% of population) can provide accurate population ersity measures, but slightly underestimated population inbreeding coefficients. Accurate measures of internal relatedness required at least 33% of the population to be s led. Accurate geographic and genetic spatial autocorrelation analysis requires between 28% and 51% of the population to be s led. We show that gNIS at low s le sizes can provide a powerful tool to aid conservation decision‐making and provide recommendations for researchers looking to apply these techniques to free‐ranging systems.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Start Date: 02-2021
End Date: 01-2025
Amount: $967,439.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity