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Conservation genetics of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) II. Limited variability in minisatellite DNA sequences

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Abstract

We have examined variability inTaqI andEcoRI restriction fragment sizes of DNA from the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) using six HVR (hypervariable region) probes which reveal complex, individual-specific restriction patterns in humans and other species. Frequency of band-sharing among unrelated koalas was extremely high. This result is likely to be a consequence of the history of near-extinction and artificial recolonization of the populations we have studied, rather than a general marsupial or koala-wide phenomenon.

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This work was funded by the Australian Research Council.

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Taylor, A.C., Graves, J.A.M., Murray, N.D. et al. Conservation genetics of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) II. Limited variability in minisatellite DNA sequences. Biochem Genet 29, 355–363 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00554143

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00554143

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