Highly informative ancient DNA 'snippets' for New Zealand moa.
BACKGROUND: Analysis of ancient DNA has provided invaluable information on past ecologies, ancient populations, and extinct species. We used a short snippet of highly variable mitochondrial control region sequence from New Zealand's moa to characterise a large number of bones previously intract...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2013-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3547012?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818290790329221120 |
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| author | Jonathan McCallum Samantha Hall Iman Lissone Jennifer Anderson Leon Huynen David M Lambert |
| author_facet | Jonathan McCallum Samantha Hall Iman Lissone Jennifer Anderson Leon Huynen David M Lambert |
| author_sort | Jonathan McCallum |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BACKGROUND: Analysis of ancient DNA has provided invaluable information on past ecologies, ancient populations, and extinct species. We used a short snippet of highly variable mitochondrial control region sequence from New Zealand's moa to characterise a large number of bones previously intractable to DNA analysis as well as bone fragments from swamps to gain information about the haplotype diversity and phylogeography that existed in five moa species. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: By targeting such 'snippets', we show that moa populations differed substantially in geographic structure that is likely to be related to population mobility and history. We show that populations of Pachyornis geranoides, Dinornis novaezealandiae, and Dinornis robustus were highly structured and some appear to have occupied the same geographic location for hundreds of thousands of years. In contrast, populations of the moa Anomalopteryx didiformis and Euryapteryx curtus were widespread, with specific populations of the latter occupying both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. We further show that for a specific area, in this case a North Island swamp, complete haplotype diversity and even sex can be recovered from collections of small, often discarded, bone fragments. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Short highly variable mitochondrial 'snippets' allow successful typing of environmentally damaged and fragmented skeletal material, and can provide useful information about ancient population diversity and structure without the need to sample valuable, whole bones often held by museums. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:33:46Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-581f8d28ee7a45a49dc30c9eb9caa9a2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T02:33:46Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-581f8d28ee7a45a49dc30c9eb9caa9a22022-12-22T00:02:26ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0181e5073210.1371/journal.pone.0050732Highly informative ancient DNA 'snippets' for New Zealand moa.Jonathan McCallumSamantha HallIman LissoneJennifer AndersonLeon HuynenDavid M LambertBACKGROUND: Analysis of ancient DNA has provided invaluable information on past ecologies, ancient populations, and extinct species. We used a short snippet of highly variable mitochondrial control region sequence from New Zealand's moa to characterise a large number of bones previously intractable to DNA analysis as well as bone fragments from swamps to gain information about the haplotype diversity and phylogeography that existed in five moa species. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: By targeting such 'snippets', we show that moa populations differed substantially in geographic structure that is likely to be related to population mobility and history. We show that populations of Pachyornis geranoides, Dinornis novaezealandiae, and Dinornis robustus were highly structured and some appear to have occupied the same geographic location for hundreds of thousands of years. In contrast, populations of the moa Anomalopteryx didiformis and Euryapteryx curtus were widespread, with specific populations of the latter occupying both the North and South Islands of New Zealand. We further show that for a specific area, in this case a North Island swamp, complete haplotype diversity and even sex can be recovered from collections of small, often discarded, bone fragments. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Short highly variable mitochondrial 'snippets' allow successful typing of environmentally damaged and fragmented skeletal material, and can provide useful information about ancient population diversity and structure without the need to sample valuable, whole bones often held by museums.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3547012?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Jonathan McCallum Samantha Hall Iman Lissone Jennifer Anderson Leon Huynen David M Lambert Highly informative ancient DNA 'snippets' for New Zealand moa. PLoS ONE |
| title | Highly informative ancient DNA 'snippets' for New Zealand moa. |
| title_full | Highly informative ancient DNA 'snippets' for New Zealand moa. |
| title_fullStr | Highly informative ancient DNA 'snippets' for New Zealand moa. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Highly informative ancient DNA 'snippets' for New Zealand moa. |
| title_short | Highly informative ancient DNA 'snippets' for New Zealand moa. |
| title_sort | highly informative ancient dna snippets for new zealand moa |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3547012?pdf=render |
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