Studying Seabird Diet through Genetic Analysis of Faeces: A Case Study on Macaroni Penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus)
Background. Determination of seabird diet usually relies on the analysis of stomach-content remains obtained through stomach flushing; this technique is both invasive and logistically difficult. We evaluate the usefulness of DNA-based faecal analysis in a dietary study on chick-rearing macaroni peng...
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ftciteseerx:oai:CiteSeerX.psu:10.1.1.280.798 2023-05-15T16:08:22+02:00 Studying Seabird Diet through Genetic Analysis of Faeces: A Case Study on Macaroni Penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) Bruce E. Deagle Nick J. Gales Karen Evans Simon N. Jarman Sarah Robinson Rowan Trebilco Mark A. Hindell The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives application/zip http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.280.798 en eng http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.280.798 Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. ftp://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/58/3e/PLoS_ONE_2007_Sep_5_2(9)_e831.tar.gz text ftciteseerx 2016-01-07T21:04:19Z Background. Determination of seabird diet usually relies on the analysis of stomach-content remains obtained through stomach flushing; this technique is both invasive and logistically difficult. We evaluate the usefulness of DNA-based faecal analysis in a dietary study on chick-rearing macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) at Heard Island. Conventional stomach-content data was also collected, allowing comparison of the approaches. Methodology/Principal Findings. Preyspecific PCR tests were used to detect dietary DNA in faecal samples and amplified prey DNA was cloned and sequenced. Of the 88 faecal samples collected, 39 contained detectable DNA from one or more of the prey groups targeted with PCR tests. Euphausiid DNA was most commonly detected in the early (guard) stage of chick-rearing, and detection of DNA from the myctophid fish Krefftichthys anderssoni and amphipods became more common in samples collected in the later (crèche) stage. These trends followed those observed in the penguins ’ stomach contents. In euphausiid-specific clone libraries the proportion of sequences from the two dominant euphausiid prey species (Euphausia vallentini and Thysanoessa macrura) changed over the sampling period; again, this reflected the trend in the stomach content data. Analysis of prey sequences in universal clone libraries revealed a higher diversity of fish prey than identified in the stomachs, but non-fish prey were not well represented. Conclusions/Significance. The present study is one of the first to examine the full breadth of a predator’s diet using DNAbased faecal analysis. We discuss methodological difficulties encountered and suggest possible refinements. Overall, the ability of the DNA-based approach to detect temporal variation in the diet of macaroni penguins indicates this non-invasive Text Eudyptes chrysolophus Heard Island Thysanoessa macrura Unknown Heard Island |
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ftciteseerx |
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English |
description |
Background. Determination of seabird diet usually relies on the analysis of stomach-content remains obtained through stomach flushing; this technique is both invasive and logistically difficult. We evaluate the usefulness of DNA-based faecal analysis in a dietary study on chick-rearing macaroni penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) at Heard Island. Conventional stomach-content data was also collected, allowing comparison of the approaches. Methodology/Principal Findings. Preyspecific PCR tests were used to detect dietary DNA in faecal samples and amplified prey DNA was cloned and sequenced. Of the 88 faecal samples collected, 39 contained detectable DNA from one or more of the prey groups targeted with PCR tests. Euphausiid DNA was most commonly detected in the early (guard) stage of chick-rearing, and detection of DNA from the myctophid fish Krefftichthys anderssoni and amphipods became more common in samples collected in the later (crèche) stage. These trends followed those observed in the penguins ’ stomach contents. In euphausiid-specific clone libraries the proportion of sequences from the two dominant euphausiid prey species (Euphausia vallentini and Thysanoessa macrura) changed over the sampling period; again, this reflected the trend in the stomach content data. Analysis of prey sequences in universal clone libraries revealed a higher diversity of fish prey than identified in the stomachs, but non-fish prey were not well represented. Conclusions/Significance. The present study is one of the first to examine the full breadth of a predator’s diet using DNAbased faecal analysis. We discuss methodological difficulties encountered and suggest possible refinements. Overall, the ability of the DNA-based approach to detect temporal variation in the diet of macaroni penguins indicates this non-invasive |
author2 |
The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives |
format |
Text |
author |
Bruce E. Deagle Nick J. Gales Karen Evans Simon N. Jarman Sarah Robinson Rowan Trebilco Mark A. Hindell |
spellingShingle |
Bruce E. Deagle Nick J. Gales Karen Evans Simon N. Jarman Sarah Robinson Rowan Trebilco Mark A. Hindell Studying Seabird Diet through Genetic Analysis of Faeces: A Case Study on Macaroni Penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) |
author_facet |
Bruce E. Deagle Nick J. Gales Karen Evans Simon N. Jarman Sarah Robinson Rowan Trebilco Mark A. Hindell |
author_sort |
Bruce E. Deagle |
title |
Studying Seabird Diet through Genetic Analysis of Faeces: A Case Study on Macaroni Penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) |
title_short |
Studying Seabird Diet through Genetic Analysis of Faeces: A Case Study on Macaroni Penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) |
title_full |
Studying Seabird Diet through Genetic Analysis of Faeces: A Case Study on Macaroni Penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) |
title_fullStr |
Studying Seabird Diet through Genetic Analysis of Faeces: A Case Study on Macaroni Penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Studying Seabird Diet through Genetic Analysis of Faeces: A Case Study on Macaroni Penguins (Eudyptes chrysolophus) |
title_sort |
studying seabird diet through genetic analysis of faeces: a case study on macaroni penguins (eudyptes chrysolophus) |
url |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.280.798 |
geographic |
Heard Island |
geographic_facet |
Heard Island |
genre |
Eudyptes chrysolophus Heard Island Thysanoessa macrura |
genre_facet |
Eudyptes chrysolophus Heard Island Thysanoessa macrura |
op_source |
ftp://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/58/3e/PLoS_ONE_2007_Sep_5_2(9)_e831.tar.gz |
op_relation |
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.280.798 |
op_rights |
Metadata may be used without restrictions as long as the oai identifier remains attached to it. |
_version_ |
1766404421813534720 |