An environmental DNA sampling method for aye-ayes from their feeding traces

Area of Science:

• Conservation Genetics
• Molecular Ecology
• Wildlife Monitoring

Background:

• Noninvasive sampling, particularly environmental DNA (eDNA), is crucial for monitoring wild animal populations.
• Target capture and enrichment methods are vital for analyzing low-quality samples with high exogenous DNA.
• Endangered species often require innovative genetic monitoring techniques due to sampling challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the efficacy of mitochondrial DNA target capture from aye-aye feeding traces for population genetic monitoring.
• To determine if this noninvasive method can generate sufficient genetic data for endangered lemur species.
• To explore the application of this technique for other endangered species.

Main Methods:

• Collected gnawed wood samples from aye-aye feeding sites.
• Designed RNA probes targeting the aye-aye mitochondrial genome.
• Utilized target capture and enrichment to isolate aye-aye DNA from environmental samples.
• Sequenced retrieved mitochondrial DNA.

Main Results:

• Successfully retrieved six near-complete mitochondrial genomes from aye-aye feeding traces.
• Obtained sequences from two previously unsampled sites within the aye-aye's range.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of using feeding traces for genetic analysis.

Conclusions:

• Mitochondrial DNA target capture from aye-aye feeding traces is effective for population genetic monitoring.
• This noninvasive approach provides valuable genetic data for endangered species conservation.
• The method shows potential for application to other endangered species using alternative foraged remains.