Provenance of a New Zealand brush‐tailed rock‐wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) population determined by mitochondrial DNA sequence analysis

Abstract

Modern molecular genetic techniques provide a valuable means to address questions concerning the origins of naturalized populations. Brush-tailed rock-wallabies (Petrogale penicillata), of unknown provenance, were introduced to New Zealand from Australia in the early 1870s. While the introduced wallabies prospered in New Zealand, their antecedents in Australia experienced widespread local population extinctions as part of a drastic, widespread and ongoing decline. In this study, a polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis was undertaken of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences from P. penicillata in New Zealand (n = 18) and throughout the species' native range in southeastern Australia (n = 54). A single mtDNA haplotype was identified in New Zealand, while 17 haplotypes were found in sampled Australian populations. Phylogenetic analysis (583 bp sequence) revealed the presence of three divergent mtDNA groups within Australian P. penicillata, with each group showing distinct geographical circumscription. The New Zealand haplotype consistently clustered within the central New South Wales group and was most similar (0.55% sequence divergence) to a haplotype from Winmalee, just west of Sydney. It seems likely then, that the New Zealand population of P. penicillata was founded by animals captured near Sydney in the late 19th century. Since P. penicillata in this region have experienced widespread population declines and extinctions, the naturalized New Zealand population represents a potentially valuable conservation resource for Australia. However, the unusual history of New Zealand's P. penicillata presents unique challenges to Australian wildlife managers.

Three divergent lineages within an Australian marsupial (Petrogale penicillata) suggest multiple major refugia for mesic taxa in southeast Australia

“…; Eldridge et al. ) (Table ). Sequence data were obtained for each unique haplotype using BigDye termination chemistry and resolved using automated capillary sequencers.…”

“…These data included 13 colonies (individuals inhabiting a discreet habitat patch) with sample sizes of n ≥ 7 (Table ), and three colonies with smaller sample sizes ( n ≤ 4) that were merged together to create a single population because they were within a 5 km distance of each other (Little River Gorge, Gelantipy Creek, and Farm Creek, Victoria, n = 8; Table ), as dispersal has been detected over this distance (Eldridge et al. b). Exact tests for deviations from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium for each locus and linkage disequilibrium between loci were carried out for each population in GENEPOP 3.1 (Raymond and Rousset ) using the Markov chain method with 1000 iterations.…”

“…Rock-wallabies' reliance on rocky habitat (Eldridge 2008) and their naturally limited dispersal abilities ) make them sensitive indicators of historic disruption to gene flow and therefore useful indicators of biogeographic barriers (Potter et al 2012b). Previous population genetic studies of brush-tailed rock-wallabies have shown evidence of significant local and regional genetic structuring, although these studies were all based on limited sampling or geographic coverage (Browning et al 2001;Eldridge et al 2001a;Hazlitt et al 2006Hazlitt et al , 2010Paplinska et al 2011). Browning et al (2001 proposed that the brush-tailed rock-wallaby contained three divergent mtDNA lineages (potential evolutionarily significant units; ESUs), but their sampling throughout the species range was limited.…”

Marsupial Population and Conservation Genetics

“…While for some marsupials the presence or absence of major contemporary or historic barriers to gene flow is predictable (e.g., Houlden et al, 1999;Pope et al, 2000;Spencer et al, 2001;Brown et al, 2006) for many it is not (e.g., Cooper et al, 2000;Neaves et al, 2009) and significant unexpected divergence or lack of divergence is regularly reported. In south-eastern Australia, significant divergence was surprisingly identified within the brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) with a major discontinuity, suggestive of long term isolation, present in mtDNA haplotypes south of Sydney, NSW (Eldridge et al, 2001a). In south-eastern Australia, significant divergence was surprisingly identified within the brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) with a major discontinuity, suggestive of long term isolation, present in mtDNA haplotypes south of Sydney, NSW (Eldridge et al, 2001a).…”

TA 30 - Archaeological Science Under a Microscope : Studies in Residue and Ancient DNA Analysis in Honour of Thomas H. Loy

“…Four species of wallaby (Macropus eugenii, Macropus parma, Petrogale penicillata and Wallabia bicolour) (Eldridge et al 2001) were introduced and remain on Kawau today. Other animals, such as the zebra imported to pull his carriage (Eldridge et al 2001), failed to acclimatise to their new home. Grey also imported birds such as peacocks (Pavo spp.…”