DNA metabarcoding reveals fine scale geographical differences of consumed algae in the Galápagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)
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Federal Agency for Nature Conservation Germany (BfN), Wildlife Conservation Unit, Konstantinstr. 110, 53179, Bonn, Germany
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Abstract
Galápagos marine iguanas are primarily associated with the marine environment and show special nutritional adaptations. They are the only lizards worldwide that forage on marine macroalgae. Until now, consumed algae have been identified by direct observations during their feeding activities and microscopic identification in faeces samples. In this study, we use a novel DNA metabarcoding approach to identify consumed algal species from the faeces of marine iguanas. We developed primers for the ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) gene and applied a metabarcoding approach to 25 individual faeces samples collected in four representative sites of two subspecies (Amblyrhynchus cristatus mertensi and A. c. godzilla), found in the San Cristóbal Island. We detected 18 consistently occurring macroalgal operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Most of the OTUs were assigned to Rhodophyta (red algae) and only one OTU to Chlorophyta (green algae). Despite the number of consumed algal species did not differ between two subspecies (OTU richness; P = 0.383), diet overlap level between A. c. mertensi and A. c. godzilla was low (Schoener index = 0.345), suggesting that both subspecies consumed different algal species in their natural environment. Further studies are needed to understand whether the difference of consumed algae reflects disparities in the abundance of algal species between sites, or whether iguanas of the two genetically differentiated subspecies prefer distinct algal species.
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DNA metabarcoding reveals fine scale geographical differences of consumed algae in the Galápagos marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus)
In: Amphibia-ReptiliaSearch for other papers by Sten Anslan in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Denisse Dalgo in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Federal Agency for Nature Conservation Germany (BfN), Wildlife Conservation Unit, Konstantinstr. 110, 53179, Bonn, Germany
Search for other papers by Timm Reinhardt in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Nicolás Peñafiel in
Current site
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PubMed
Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales COCIBA, Instituto Biósfera USFQ, Laboratorio de Biología Evolutiva, Cumbayá, Ecuador
Search for other papers by Juan Guayasamin in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Dirección Parque Nacional Galápagos, Oficina Técnica San Cristóbal, Islas Galápagos, Ecuador
Search for other papers by Diego Páez-Rosas in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by Miguel Vences in
Current site
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PubMed
Search for other papers by Sebastian Steinfartz in
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PubMed
Abstract
Galápagos marine iguanas are primarily associated with the marine environment and show special nutritional adaptations. They are the only lizards worldwide that forage on marine macroalgae. Until now, consumed algae have been identified by direct observations during their feeding activities and microscopic identification in faeces samples. In this study, we use a novel DNA metabarcoding approach to identify consumed algal species from the faeces of marine iguanas. We developed primers for the ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase (rbcL) gene and applied a metabarcoding approach to 25 individual faeces samples collected in four representative sites of two subspecies (Amblyrhynchus cristatus mertensi and A. c. godzilla), found in the San Cristóbal Island. We detected 18 consistently occurring macroalgal operational taxonomic units (OTUs). Most of the OTUs were assigned to Rhodophyta (red algae) and only one OTU to Chlorophyta (green algae). Despite the number of consumed algal species did not differ between two subspecies (OTU richness; P = 0.383), diet overlap level between A. c. mertensi and A. c. godzilla was low (Schoener index = 0.345), suggesting that both subspecies consumed different algal species in their natural environment. Further studies are needed to understand whether the difference of consumed algae reflects disparities in the abundance of algal species between sites, or whether iguanas of the two genetically differentiated subspecies prefer distinct algal species.
| All Time | Past 365 days | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abstract Views | 1529 | 541 | 42 |
| Full Text Views | 156 | 21 | 2 |
| PDF Views & Downloads | 161 | 34 | 0 |
