Mantellatto AMB, Caparroz R, Christofoletti MD, Piovezan U, Duarte JMB. Genetic diversity of the pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus) population in the Brazilian Pantanal assessed by combining fresh fecal DNA analysis and a set of heterologous microsatellite loci.
Genet Mol Biol 2017;
40:774-780. [PMID:
28981561 PMCID:
PMC5738621 DOI:
10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2016-0323]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2016] [Accepted: 02/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus) is close to being
classified as ‘globally threatened’, with the largest population occurring in
the Brazilian Pantanal. Since capture is stressful to these animals,
non-invasive sampling methods such as the use of feces can provide reliable
sources of DNA. The aim of this study was to use fecal samples to evaluate the
genetic variability of the Brazilian Pantanal population of pampas deer. Six
heterologous microsatellite markers were used to screen 142 stool specimens.
Seventy-four deer were identified, of which 50 adults were used to determine the
genetic characteristics of the population. The Pantanal population showed high
genetic diversity (mean number of alleles per locus = 11.5, expected
heterozygosity = 0.75). This is the first investigation to characterize a South
American deer species using fecal DNA and demonstrates the usefulness and
efficiency of this approach, as well as the feasibility of obtaining information
that could not have been easily obtained by traditional DNA sampling. Our
findings suggest that management strategies for this species may be much more
effective if applied now when the population still shows high genetic
variability.
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