Haplotyping cryptic Adélie penguin taxa using low-cost, high-resolution melt curves. Issue 2 (2nd April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Banks, JC; Clark, JA; Nield, P; Stanton, J-AL; Wagner, E
• Is Part Of: New Zealand journal of zoology. Volume 43:Issue 2(2016)
• Page Start: 163
• Page End: 170
• Publication Date: 2016-04-02
• Subjects: Antarctica -- cryptic taxa -- field-deployable thermal cyclers -- polymerase chain reactions -- Pygoscelis adeliae -- remote field site -- Sphenisciformes; Animals -- New Zealand -- Periodicals; Zoology -- New Zealand -- Periodicals; Zoology -- Periodicals; Zoologie -- Nouvelle-Zélande -- Périodiques; Zoologie -- Pacifique, Région du -- Périodiques; Zoologie -- Antarctique -- Périodiques; Insectes -- Classification -- Périodiques; Espèces introduites -- Périodiques; 590.99305
• DOI: 10.1080/03014223.2015.1129971
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1175-8821

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Distinguishing morphologically cryptic taxa, by definition, requires genetic data such as DNA sequences. However, DNA sequences may not be obtained easily for taxa from remote sites. Here we provide the details of a high-resolution melt-curve-based method using taxon-specific primers that can distinguish two taxa of Adélie penguins, and that will be usable in Antarctica when combined with some of the newly developed field-deployable thermal cyclers. We suggest that the wider adoption of field-deployable polymerase-chain-reaction-based techniques will enable faster assignation of haplotype to individuals in situ, and so allow the targeting of observations and sample collection to specimens relevant to the research question. Targeting individuals will also reduce the need to repeatedly handle animals and reduce the time and travel required to complete field work.