Testing and optimizing metabarcoding of iDNA from dung beetles to sample mammals in the hyperdiverse Neotropics
Bruno H Saranholi1,2, Filipe M França3,4, Alfried P Vogler1,5
1Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK.
Molecular Ecology Resources
|April 22, 2024
Summary
Dung beetles effectively sample mammal diversity using ingested DNA (iDNA). The 16SrRNA mini-barcode recovered more mammal species than 12SrRNA, refining iDNA methods for tropical mammal community assessment.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Molecular Ecology
- Conservation Biology
Background:
- Insects, particularly dung beetles, are increasingly used as samplers for vertebrate diversity through ingested DNA (iDNA) analysis.
- Dung beetles are suitable mammal samplers due to their diverse diets, wide distribution, and ease of collection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To optimize the use of iDNA from dung beetles for assessing mammal communities.
- To evaluate how biological and methodological factors influence dung beetles as mammal samplers.
Main Methods:
- Collected 403 dung beetles using 60 pitfall traps.
- Sequenced ingested DNA (iDNA) from each beetle using 12SrRNA and 16SrRNA mini-barcodes via metabarcoding.
- Assessed the impact of dung beetle traits (feeding, nesting, size) and killing solutions on mammal iDNA recovery.
Main Results:
- Identified 50 mammal operational taxonomic units (OTUs), including terrestrial and arboreal species from 10 orders.
- Obtained mammal DNA sequences from 70% of dung beetle specimens.
- 16SrRNA recovered more mammal OTUs than 12SrRNA, but both markers showed partial overlap, indicating the need for combined use for comprehensive diversity assessment. Dung beetle traits and killing solutions did not significantly affect the number of mammal OTUs detected.
Conclusions:
- This study refines the methodology for routine assessment of tropical mammal communities using dung beetle iDNA.
- The findings support the universal applicability of this method, irrespective of local dung beetle species traits or killing solutions used, though employing both 12SrRNA and 16SrRNA markers is recommended for maximizing mammal diversity detection.
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