title: A multiplex PCR assay to distinguish among three sympatric marsupial taxa from Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea, using the mitochondrial control region.
abstract: Matschie's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei) is an endangered arboreal macropodid marsupial that is difficult to locate in the wild. The Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program noninvasively collected D. matschiei faecal samples, but a high percentage of samples were misidentified and belonged to two terrestrial macropods, New Guinea pademelon (Thylogale browni) and small dorcopsis (Dorcopsulus vanheurni). We developed species-specific primers that produced a unique sized mitochondrial DNA control region gene product for each taxon and achieved an 89% correct assignment rate. The species-specific primers can increase the accuracy of D. matschiei density estimates and facilitate additional genetic analyses of wild D. matschiei.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Resources Science, Coastal Institute, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, Department of Conservation, Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, WA 98103, USA.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: McGreevy
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dabek
authors.forename: T P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Husband