Abstract
Cyanoramphus malherbi is a critically endangered endemic parakeet, or kākāriki, restricted to three mainland valleys in North Canterbury and four translocated populations on predator-free offshore islands of New Zealand. Using genomic next generation sequencing to identify microsatellites, 16,497 sequenced fragments were obtained. Primers were designed for 35 of 62 detected loci: 26 amplified successfully and 18 were polymorphic. Sequence homology to three assembled avian genomes was used to assign five loci to five different autosomes. The number of alleles per locus ranged from 2 to 7 with observed heterozygosities ranging between 0.09 and 0.70. All 18 loci readily cross-amplified in Cyanoramphus auriceps, indicating the utility of these markers for conservation genetic management of both species.
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Acknowledgments
We thank the Orange-fronted Kākāriki Recovery Group especially Simon Elkington and John Kearvell for sample collection and advice. We are grateful to Wee Ming Boon, Geoff Chambers, Sue Keall and Willowbank Wildlife Park for providing us with samples. We also thank Maggie Tisch and Craig Galilee for technical support. Funding was provided by the Brian Mason Scientific and Technical Trust and the University of Canterbury.
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Andrews, B.J., Hale, M.L. & Steeves, T.E. Characterisation of microsatellite loci in the critically endangered orange-fronted kākāriki (Cyanoramphus malherbi) isolated using genomic next generation sequencing. Conservation Genet Resour 5, 235–237 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12686-012-9777-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12686-012-9777-4