title: Comparative mtDNA analyses of three sympatric macropodids from a conservation area on the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea.
abstract: Matschie's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei), New Guinea pademelon (Thylogale browni), and small dorcopsis (Dorcopsulus vanheurni) are sympatric macropodid taxa, of conservation concern, that inhabit the Yopno-Urawa-Som (YUS) Conservation Area on the Huon Peninsula, Papua New Guinea. We sequenced three partial mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes from the three taxa to (i) investigate network structure; and (ii) identify conservation units within the YUS Conservation Area. All three taxa displayed a similar pattern in the spatial distribution of their mtDNA haplotypes and the Urawa and Som rivers on the Huon may have acted as a barrier to maternal gene flow. Matschie's tree kangaroo and New Guinea pademelon within the YUS Conservation Area should be managed as single conservation units because mtDNA nucleotides were not fixed for a given geographic area. However, two distinct conservation units were identified for small dorcopsis from the two different mountain ranges within the YUS Conservation Area.
authors.affiliation: a Wildlife Genetics and Ecology Laboratory, Department of Natural Resources Science , Coastal Institute, University of Rhode Island , Kingston , RI , USA and.
authors.forename: Thomas J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: McGreevy
authors.affiliation: b Tree Kangaroo Conservation Program, Department of Conservation , Woodland Park Zoo , Seattle , WA , USA.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dabek
authors.affiliation: a Wildlife Genetics and Ecology Laboratory, Department of Natural Resources Science , Coastal Institute, University of Rhode Island , Kingston , RI , USA and.
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Husband
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D056727:Endangered Species; D054629:Genome, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D006239:Haplotypes / Q000235:genetics; D007614:Macropodidae / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010219:Papua New Guinea; D010802:Phylogeny
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial
keywords: Conservation unit; Matschie’s tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus matschiei); New Guinea pademelon (Thylogale browni); endangered species; fecal samples; small dorcopsis (Dorcopsulus vanheurni)