The pine marten (Martes martes) is one of Ire land's most elusive mammals. It is a member of the ... more The pine marten (Martes martes) is one of Ire land's most elusive mammals. It is a member of the mustelid family of carn ivo res whose other Irish re p resentatives include; the Eurasian badger (Meles meles), the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), the Irish stoat (Mustela erminea hibernica) and the American mink (Mustela vison).
The pine marten is one of six mustelid species currently established in Ireland along with the ba... more The pine marten is one of six mustelid species currently established in Ireland along with the badger, otter, stoat, ferret and the American mink. The ancient origin of the Irish pine marten is unknown but it was possibly introduced into Ireland in the Bronze Age as a commodity species for its luxurious pelt. The species was legally protected in Ireland in 1976 after centuries of persecution with the extensive deforestation of the island and hunting for fur or predator control.
European Journal of Wildlife Research, Jan 1, 2010
We investigated the feasibility of using genetic techniques to census pine marten (Martes martes)... more We investigated the feasibility of using genetic techniques to census pine marten (Martes martes) populations by genotyping non-invasively collected samples (plucked hair and scats), with particular reference to the genetically depauperate Irish population. Novel real-time polymerase chain reaction methods were developed for species and sex identification, targeting short DNA sequences. Background genetic variation at 17 microsatellite loci was very low in the Irish population, with an average of 2.29 alleles per locus and expected heterozygosity of 0.35. Despite such low polymorphism, a panel of eight loci with a sibling probability of identity of 0.011 reliably identified individual pine marten and their gender, as determined by reference to genotypes of live trapped individuals. With high nuclear DNA amplification success rates (93.8%) and low genotyping error rates (1.8%), plucked hairs may represent a more reliable and cost-effective DNA source than scats for monitoring populations of this elusive carnivore, and similar taxa such as the sympatric stone marten Martes foina.
Monitoring wildlife species by DNA identification of samples collected non-invasively is an impor... more Monitoring wildlife species by DNA identification of samples collected non-invasively is an important tool in conservation management. DNA identification of species from faecal (scat) samples is problematic due to the small quantities and poor quality of the DNA isolated from such samples. This study demonstrates the use of real-time PCR technology in the identification of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and pine marten (Martes martes). It is shown that real-time PCR can be used to identify fox and pine marten by either melting curve analysis (Tm determination) with SYBR Green 1 detection or by the use of species specific fluorogenic probes. The technique is shown to work efficiently with scat DNA.
The pine marten (Martes martes) is one of Ire land's most elusive mammals. It is a member of the ... more The pine marten (Martes martes) is one of Ire land's most elusive mammals. It is a member of the mustelid family of carn ivo res whose other Irish re p resentatives include; the Eurasian badger (Meles meles), the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), the Irish stoat (Mustela erminea hibernica) and the American mink (Mustela vison).
The pine marten is one of six mustelid species currently established in Ireland along with the ba... more The pine marten is one of six mustelid species currently established in Ireland along with the badger, otter, stoat, ferret and the American mink. The ancient origin of the Irish pine marten is unknown but it was possibly introduced into Ireland in the Bronze Age as a commodity species for its luxurious pelt. The species was legally protected in Ireland in 1976 after centuries of persecution with the extensive deforestation of the island and hunting for fur or predator control.
European Journal of Wildlife Research, Jan 1, 2010
We investigated the feasibility of using genetic techniques to census pine marten (Martes martes)... more We investigated the feasibility of using genetic techniques to census pine marten (Martes martes) populations by genotyping non-invasively collected samples (plucked hair and scats), with particular reference to the genetically depauperate Irish population. Novel real-time polymerase chain reaction methods were developed for species and sex identification, targeting short DNA sequences. Background genetic variation at 17 microsatellite loci was very low in the Irish population, with an average of 2.29 alleles per locus and expected heterozygosity of 0.35. Despite such low polymorphism, a panel of eight loci with a sibling probability of identity of 0.011 reliably identified individual pine marten and their gender, as determined by reference to genotypes of live trapped individuals. With high nuclear DNA amplification success rates (93.8%) and low genotyping error rates (1.8%), plucked hairs may represent a more reliable and cost-effective DNA source than scats for monitoring populations of this elusive carnivore, and similar taxa such as the sympatric stone marten Martes foina.
Monitoring wildlife species by DNA identification of samples collected non-invasively is an impor... more Monitoring wildlife species by DNA identification of samples collected non-invasively is an important tool in conservation management. DNA identification of species from faecal (scat) samples is problematic due to the small quantities and poor quality of the DNA isolated from such samples. This study demonstrates the use of real-time PCR technology in the identification of red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and pine marten (Martes martes). It is shown that real-time PCR can be used to identify fox and pine marten by either melting curve analysis (Tm determination) with SYBR Green 1 detection or by the use of species specific fluorogenic probes. The technique is shown to work efficiently with scat DNA.
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