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Similar estimates of population genetic composition and sex ratio derived from carcasses and faeces of Eurasian otter Lutra lutra

Similar estimates of population genetic composition and sex ratio derived from carcasses and faeces of Eurasian otter Lutra lutra
Similar estimates of population genetic composition and sex ratio derived from carcasses and faeces of Eurasian otter Lutra lutra
Collecting faeces is viewed as a potentially efficient way to sample elusive animals. Nonetheless, any biases in estimates of population composition associated with such sampling remain uncharacterized. The goal of this study was to compare estimates of genetic composition and sex ratio derived from Eurasian otter Lutra lutra spraints (faeces) with estimates derived from carcasses. Twenty per cent of 426 wild‐collected spraints from SW England yielded composite genotypes for 7–9 microsatellites and the SRY gene. The expected number of incorrect spraint genotypes was negligible, given the proportions of allele dropout and false allele detection estimated using paired blood and spraint samples of three captive otters. Fifty‐two different spraint genotypes were detected and compared with genotypes of 70 otter carcasses from the same area. Carcass and spraint genotypes did not differ significantly in mean number of alleles, mean unbiased heterozygosity or sex ratio, although statistical power to detect all but large differences in sex ratio was low. The genetic compositions of carcass and spraint genotypes were very similar according to confidence intervals of θ and two methods for assigning composite genotypes to groups. A distinct group of approximately 11 carcass and spraint genotypes was detected using the latter methods. The results suggest that spraints can yield unbiased estimates of population genetic composition and sex ratio.
faeces, genetic, Lutra, microsatellite, noninvasive, PCR, sex ratio, SRY
0962-1083
275-282
Dallas, John F.
c2dc2927-ff02-4666-9d71-26b95f1fc55e
Coxon, Karen E.
fdcbb6a1-f74c-4ba0-87d7-7e133e07117f
Sykes, Tim
e622a522-7490-4fc8-9869-0f376f73561c
Chanin, Paul R.F.
6dd2e79c-e187-4d47-ab3a-4ff6a67ca537
Marshall, Freda
1134b21f-7f23-4ee6-aaf5-c7580b73c10b
Carss, David N.
c82650f2-8bd7-42b9-99b7-bc5962565d9c
Bacon, Philip J.
9c6e5a0f-2971-4143-8d8e-ad5cf1006eb3
Piertney, Stuart B.
1fedc977-378b-4ba5-a9ef-de387d788f8d
Racey, Paul A.
b4368ad8-4ad6-4bcf-a92e-b8fe1972b5f5
Dallas, John F.
c2dc2927-ff02-4666-9d71-26b95f1fc55e
Coxon, Karen E.
fdcbb6a1-f74c-4ba0-87d7-7e133e07117f
Sykes, Tim
e622a522-7490-4fc8-9869-0f376f73561c
Chanin, Paul R.F.
6dd2e79c-e187-4d47-ab3a-4ff6a67ca537
Marshall, Freda
1134b21f-7f23-4ee6-aaf5-c7580b73c10b
Carss, David N.
c82650f2-8bd7-42b9-99b7-bc5962565d9c
Bacon, Philip J.
9c6e5a0f-2971-4143-8d8e-ad5cf1006eb3
Piertney, Stuart B.
1fedc977-378b-4ba5-a9ef-de387d788f8d
Racey, Paul A.
b4368ad8-4ad6-4bcf-a92e-b8fe1972b5f5

Dallas, John F., Coxon, Karen E., Sykes, Tim, Chanin, Paul R.F., Marshall, Freda, Carss, David N., Bacon, Philip J., Piertney, Stuart B. and Racey, Paul A. (2003) Similar estimates of population genetic composition and sex ratio derived from carcasses and faeces of Eurasian otter Lutra lutra. Molecular Ecology, 12 (1), 275-282. (doi:10.1046/j.1365-294x.2003.01712.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Collecting faeces is viewed as a potentially efficient way to sample elusive animals. Nonetheless, any biases in estimates of population composition associated with such sampling remain uncharacterized. The goal of this study was to compare estimates of genetic composition and sex ratio derived from Eurasian otter Lutra lutra spraints (faeces) with estimates derived from carcasses. Twenty per cent of 426 wild‐collected spraints from SW England yielded composite genotypes for 7–9 microsatellites and the SRY gene. The expected number of incorrect spraint genotypes was negligible, given the proportions of allele dropout and false allele detection estimated using paired blood and spraint samples of three captive otters. Fifty‐two different spraint genotypes were detected and compared with genotypes of 70 otter carcasses from the same area. Carcass and spraint genotypes did not differ significantly in mean number of alleles, mean unbiased heterozygosity or sex ratio, although statistical power to detect all but large differences in sex ratio was low. The genetic compositions of carcass and spraint genotypes were very similar according to confidence intervals of θ and two methods for assigning composite genotypes to groups. A distinct group of approximately 11 carcass and spraint genotypes was detected using the latter methods. The results suggest that spraints can yield unbiased estimates of population genetic composition and sex ratio.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 19 December 2002
Published date: January 2003
Keywords: faeces, genetic, Lutra, microsatellite, noninvasive, PCR, sex ratio, SRY

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 435983
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/435983
ISSN: 0962-1083
PURE UUID: 54e652df-4c0a-4392-b39b-0a596e8690b8
ORCID for Tim Sykes: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-0665-0368

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Date deposited: 26 Nov 2019 17:30
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:58

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Contributors

Author: John F. Dallas
Author: Karen E. Coxon
Author: Tim Sykes ORCID iD
Author: Paul R.F. Chanin
Author: Freda Marshall
Author: David N. Carss
Author: Philip J. Bacon
Author: Stuart B. Piertney
Author: Paul A. Racey

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