title: Advancing ecological understandings through technological transformations in noninvasive genetics.
abstract: Noninvasive genetic approaches continue to improve studies in molecular ecology, conservation genetics and related disciplines such as forensics and epidemiology. Noninvasive sampling allows genetic studies without disturbing or even seeing the target individuals. Although noninvasive genetic sampling has been used for wildlife studies since the 1990s, technological advances continue to make noninvasive approaches among the most used and rapidly advancing areas in genetics. Here, we review recent advances in noninvasive genetics and how they allow us to address important research and management questions thanks to improved techniques for DNA extraction, preservation, amplification and data analysis. We show that many advances come from the fields of forensics, human health and domestic animal health science, and suggest that molecular ecologists explore literature from these fields. Finally, we discuss how the combination of advances in each step of a noninvasive genetics study, along with fruitful areas for future research, will continually increase the power and role of noninvasive genetics in molecular ecology and conservation genetics.
authors.affiliation: CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal Departamento de Zoologia e Antropologia, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Missoula, MT 59801, USA Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
authors.forename: Albano
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Beja-Pereira
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Paulo C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Michael K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: Gordon
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Luikart