Molecular identification of three sympatric lagomorphs in the Northeastern United States
The New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) is the focus of extensive efforts to conserve the species. A major component of their conservation program is the collection of faecal samples to determine their distribution and abundance throughout their range. In parts of their range, New Eng...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2019-01-01
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| Series: | Mitochondrial DNA. Part B. Resources |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2019.1601508 |
| _version_ | 1827773460371210240 |
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| author | Mary Sullivan Thomas J. McGreevy Amy E. Gottfried Brian C. Tefft Bill Buffum Thomas P. Husband |
| author_facet | Mary Sullivan Thomas J. McGreevy Amy E. Gottfried Brian C. Tefft Bill Buffum Thomas P. Husband |
| author_sort | Mary Sullivan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) is the focus of extensive efforts to conserve the species. A major component of their conservation program is the collection of faecal samples to determine their distribution and abundance throughout their range. In parts of their range, New England cottontail is sympatric with a non-native eastern cottontail (S. floridanus) and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). Because faecal samples from all three lagomorphs are indistinguishable, a reliable molecular genetic method for specimen identification is necessary. We tested the efficacy of a diagnostic character method by analyzing sequence data from 1770 faecal, blood, and tissue samples collected from five states in the Northeastern United States. The method amplified a portion of the mitochondrial DNA control region and identified numerous diagnostic characters for each species. Two suspected nuclear mitochondrial DNA sequences (NUMTs) also were identified when a universal primer was used in the polymerase chain reaction. Our study could be the first evidence of a NUMT in a lagomorph and highlights the importance of using taxon-specific primers for species identification. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T13:23:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3f1b1476d957465bb340bff0fdd2c4af |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2380-2359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T13:23:22Z |
| publishDate | 2019-01-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Mitochondrial DNA. Part B. Resources |
| spelling | doaj.art-3f1b1476d957465bb340bff0fdd2c4af2023-11-03T10:06:44ZengTaylor & Francis GroupMitochondrial DNA. Part B. Resources2380-23592019-01-01411513151710.1080/23802359.2019.16015081601508Molecular identification of three sympatric lagomorphs in the Northeastern United StatesMary Sullivan0Thomas J. McGreevy1Amy E. Gottfried2Brian C. Tefft3Bill Buffum4Thomas P. Husband5University of Rhode IslandUniversity of Rhode IslandUniversity of Rhode IslandDivision of Fish and WildlifeUniversity of Rhode IslandUniversity of Rhode IslandThe New England cottontail (Sylvilagus transitionalis) is the focus of extensive efforts to conserve the species. A major component of their conservation program is the collection of faecal samples to determine their distribution and abundance throughout their range. In parts of their range, New England cottontail is sympatric with a non-native eastern cottontail (S. floridanus) and snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus). Because faecal samples from all three lagomorphs are indistinguishable, a reliable molecular genetic method for specimen identification is necessary. We tested the efficacy of a diagnostic character method by analyzing sequence data from 1770 faecal, blood, and tissue samples collected from five states in the Northeastern United States. The method amplified a portion of the mitochondrial DNA control region and identified numerous diagnostic characters for each species. Two suspected nuclear mitochondrial DNA sequences (NUMTs) also were identified when a universal primer was used in the polymerase chain reaction. Our study could be the first evidence of a NUMT in a lagomorph and highlights the importance of using taxon-specific primers for species identification.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2019.1601508diagnostic characterslepusmitochondrial dna control regionnuclear mitochondrial sequence (numt)sylvilagus |
| spellingShingle | Mary Sullivan Thomas J. McGreevy Amy E. Gottfried Brian C. Tefft Bill Buffum Thomas P. Husband Molecular identification of three sympatric lagomorphs in the Northeastern United States Mitochondrial DNA. Part B. Resources diagnostic characters lepus mitochondrial dna control region nuclear mitochondrial sequence (numt) sylvilagus |
| title | Molecular identification of three sympatric lagomorphs in the Northeastern United States |
| title_full | Molecular identification of three sympatric lagomorphs in the Northeastern United States |
| title_fullStr | Molecular identification of three sympatric lagomorphs in the Northeastern United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Molecular identification of three sympatric lagomorphs in the Northeastern United States |
| title_short | Molecular identification of three sympatric lagomorphs in the Northeastern United States |
| title_sort | molecular identification of three sympatric lagomorphs in the northeastern united states |
| topic | diagnostic characters lepus mitochondrial dna control region nuclear mitochondrial sequence (numt) sylvilagus |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/23802359.2019.1601508 |
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