Genetic Characterization of Central and South American Populations of Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao) Metadata

Title

• Main Title Genetic Characterization of Central and South American Populations of Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao)

Creator

• Author: Kim, Tracy Ann
  Creator Type: Personal

Contributor

• Chair: Benjamin, Robert C.
  Contributor Type: Personal
  Contributor Info: Major Professor
• Committee Member: Hughes, Lee E. (Lee Everette)
  Contributor Type: Personal
• Committee Member: Allen, Michael S.
  Contributor Type: Personal
• Committee Member: Root, Douglas D.
  Contributor Type: Personal
• Committee Member: McIntire, Sarah
  Contributor Type: Personal

Publisher

• Name: University of North Texas
  Place of Publication: Denton, Texas
  Additional Info: www.unt.edu

Date

• Creation: 2016-05

Language

• English

Description

• Content Description: The wild populations of the Scarlet Macaw subspecies native to southern Mexico and Central America, A. m. cyanoptera, have been drastically reduced over the last half century and are now a major concern to local governments and conservation groups. Programs to rebuild these local populations using captive bred specimens must be careful to reintroduce the native A. m. cyanoptera, as opposed to the South American nominate subspecies (A. m. macao) or hybrids of the two subspecies. Molecular markers for comparative genomic analyses are needed for definitive differentiation. Here I describe the isolation and sequence analysis of multiple loci from 7 pedigreed A. m. macao and 14 pedigreed A. m. cyanoptera specimens. The loci analyzed include the 18S rDNA genes, the complete mitogenome as well as intronic regions of selected autosomally-encoded genes. Although the multicopy18S gene sequences exhibited 10% polymorphism within all A. macao genomes, no differences were observed between any of the 21 birds whose genomes were studied. In contrast, numerous polymorphic sites were observed throughout the 16,993 bp mitochondrial genomes of both subspecies. Although much of the polymorphism was observed in the genomes of both subspecies, subspecies-specific alleles were observed at a number of mitochondrial loci, including 12S, 16S, CO2 and ND3. Evidence of possible subspecies-specific alleles were also found in three of four screened nuclear loci. Collectively, these mitochondrial and nuclear loci can be used as the basis to distinguish A. m. cyanoptera from the nominate subspecies, A. m. macao, as well as identify many hybrids, and most importantly will contribute to further reintroduction efforts.
• Physical Description: viii, 171 pages

Subject

• Keyword: population genetics
• Keyword: mitochondrial DNA
• Keyword: scarlet macaw
• Keyword: NextGen Sequencing
• Library of Congress Subject Headings: Scarlet macaw -- Central America -- Genetics.
• Library of Congress Subject Headings: Scarlet macaw -- South America -- Genetics.

Coverage

• Place Name: Central America and Caribbean
• Place Name: South America

Collection

• Name: UNT Theses and Dissertations
  Code: UNTETD

Institution

• Name: UNT Libraries
  Code: UNT

Rights

• Rights Access: public
• Rights Holder: Kim, Tracy Ann
• Rights License: copyright
• Rights Statement: Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise noted. All rights Reserved.

Resource Type

• Thesis or Dissertation

Format

• Text

Identifier

• Accession or Local Control No: submission_247
• Archival Resource Key: ark:/67531/metadc849620

Degree

• Degree Name: Doctor of Philosophy
• Degree Level: Doctoral
• Academic Department: Department of Biological Sciences
• College: College of Arts and Sciences
• Degree Discipline: Molecular Biology
• Degree Publication Type: disse
• Degree Grantor: University of North Texas

Note

• Embargo Note: The work will be published after approval.