How to spot a black-footed cat? Successful application of cross-species markers to identify captive-bred individuals from non-invasive genetic sampling

摘要: The black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) is the smallest felid of Southern Africa, endemic to arid steppe and savannah habitats. However, though threatened characterized by decreasing sizes its populations, a number ecological, demographic, sanitary, genetic aspects, essential for long-term conservation species, still remain poorly known. Non-invasive sampling may represent an appropriate cost-effective tool fill this lack information. Thus, first time so far, we developed protocol species individual identification cats, starting from markers originally designed domestic 23 non-invasively collected samples captive-bred individuals. We then tested genotyping efficiency reliability future applications in non-invasive monitoring programs wild populations. Most (65%), corresponding 15 individuals, were successfully genotyped at 316 bp mtDNA ND5 nine autosomal microsatellites. detected two haplotypes that clearly distinguishable all other felids. All microsatellites polymorphic showed low error rates, probabilities identity < 0.001 mean observed heterozygosity HO = 0.68. Subsequent approximate Bayesian computation simulations confirmed cats African European wildcats likely experienced sequential population splittings started during Late Pliocene continued through Early Pleistocene. Our study provided reliable molecular multilocus characterization cats. Though solely on our method could be applied design implement effective plans investigated