Comparing the effectiveness of flagship species in zoo interpretation videos involving dialogic-based narrative approaches.

Zoological institutions frequently engage in indirect conservation activities as global conservation targets suggest a need for raising public awareness and engagement in biodiversity conservation. However, research suggests that while members of the public are typically aware of general conservation issues, they are often uncertain of simple and practical actions they take that will be impactful. In light of current conservation goals and targets, and the need for social science research to address the environmental learning and behavior change gap, this study builds upon prior action-based environmental education research and tests the efficacy of ex situ environmental education in supporting in situ conservation.

Zoo animals as "proxy species" for threatened sister taxa: Defining a novel form of species surrogacy.

The vast number of species threatened with extinction, coupled with the limited resources to support them, results in the need to prioritize species for conservation action. Similarly, zoo collection managers must prioritize species for inclusion at their institutions, which are also limited by space and resources. While conservation status is one factor considered by zoos, weight is also given to qualitative features and practical considerations when evaluating the fit of different species.

Genotyping on the ark: A synthesis of genetic resources available for species in zoos.

Using molecular genetic information to guide population management can improve the sustainability of species in captivity. However, empirical population genetics has not been commonly applied to species management programs in zoos. One limitation may be the availability of genetic resources (e.

Genome and Transcriptome Assembly of the Canadian Beaver ().

The Canadian beaver () is the largest indigenous rodent in North America. We report a draft annotated assembly of the beaver genome, the first for a large rodent and the first mammalian genome assembled directly from uncorrected and moderate coverage (< 30 ×) long reads generated by single-molecule sequencing. The genome size is 2.

Delimiting shades of gray: phylogeography of the Northern Fulmar, Fulmarus glacialis.

The Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis) is a common tube-nosed seabird with a disjunct Holarctic range. Taxonomic divisions within the Northern Fulmar have historically been muddled by geographical variation notably including highly polymorphic plumage. Recent molecular analyses (i.

Frequency matrix approach demonstrates high sequence quality in avian BARCODEs and highlights cryptic pseudogenes.

The accuracy of DNA barcode databases is critical for research and practical applications. Here we apply a frequency matrix to assess sequencing errors in a very large set of avian BARCODEs. Using 11,000 sequences from 2,700 bird species, we show most avian cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) nucleotide and amino acid sequences vary within a narrow range.

DNA barcoding birds: from field collection to data analysis.

As of February 2011, COI DNA barcode sequences (a 648-bp segment of the 5' end of the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase I, the standard DNA barcode for animals) have been collected from over 23,000 avian specimens representing 3,800 species, more than one-third of the world's avifauna. Here, we detail the methodology for obtaining DNA barcodes from birds, covering the entire process from field collection to data analysis. We emphasize key aspects of the process and describe in more detail those that are particularly relevant in the case of birds.

DNA barcode libraries provide insight into continental patterns of avian diversification.

Background: The causes for the higher biodiversity in the Neotropics as compared to the Nearctic and the factors promoting species diversification in each region have been much debated. The refuge hypothesis posits that high tropical diversity reflects high speciation rates during the Pleistocene, but this conclusion has been challenged. The present study investigates this matter by examining continental patterns of avian diversification through the analysis of large-scale DNA barcode libraries.

Searching for evidence of selection in avian DNA barcodes.

The barcode of life project has assembled a tremendous number of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequences. Although these sequences were gathered to develop a DNA-based system for species identification, it has been suggested that further biological inferences may also be derived from this wealth of data. Recurrent selective sweeps have been invoked as an evolutionary mechanism to explain limited intraspecific COI diversity, particularly in birds, but this hypothesis has not been formally tested.

DNA barcodes provide new evidence of a recent radiation in the genus Sporophila (Aves: Passeriformes).

The capuchinos are a group of birds in the genus Sporophila that has apparently radiated recently, as evidenced by their lack of mitochondrial genetic diversity. We obtained cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) sequences (or DNA barcodes) for the 11 species of the group and various outgroups. We compared the patterns of COI variability of the capuchinos with those of the largest barcode data set from neotropical birds currently available (500 species representing 51% of avian richness in Argentina), and subjected COI sequences to neighbour-joining, maximum parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses as well as statistical parsimony network analysis.

A cryptic, intergeneric cytochrome c oxidase I pseudogene in tyrant flycatchers (family: Tyrannidae).

Nuclear mitochondrial pseudogenes, or "numts", are nonfunctional copies of mitochondrial genes that have been translocated to the nuclear genome. Numts have been used to study differences in mutation rates between the nuclear and mitochondrial genomes, but have also been implicated as troublesome for phylogenetic studies and DNA-based species identification (i.e.

Probing evolutionary patterns in neotropical birds through DNA barcodes.

Background: The Neotropical avifauna is more diverse than that of any other biogeographic region, but our understanding of patterns of regional divergence is limited. Critical examination of this issue is currently constrained by the limited genetic information available. This study begins to address this gap by assembling a library of mitochondrial COI sequences, or DNA barcodes, for Argentinian birds and comparing their patterns of genetic diversity to those of North American birds.

Comprehensive DNA barcode coverage of North American birds.

DNA barcoding seeks to assemble a standardized reference library for DNA-based identification of eukaryotic species. The utility and limitations of this approach need to be tested on well-characterized taxonomic assemblages. Here we provide a comprehensive DNA barcode analysis for North American birds including 643 species representing 93% of the breeding and pelagic avifauna of the USA and Canada.

Diagnosing mitochondrial DNA diversity: applications of a sentinel gene approach.

Mitochondrial genomes show wide variation in their GC content. This study examines the correlations between mitochondrial genome-wide shifts in this feature and a fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene in animals, plants, and fungi. Because this approach utilizes COI as a sentinel, analyzing sequences from repositories such as GenBank and the Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD) can provide rapid insights into nucleotide usage.