Three Molecular Markers Show No Evidence of Population Genetic Structure in the Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae)

Bolton, Peri E.; West, Andrea J.; Cardilini, Adam P. A.; Clark, J. Alan; Maute, Kimberly; Legge, Sarah; Brazill‐Boast, James; Griffith, Simon C.; Rollins, Lee A.

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0167723

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 86 publications

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“…The approach must take into account the need to measure physical and physicochemical variables, including waterhole volume, temperature and turbidity. Broad-scale systematic monitoring is essential to provide reliable data to inform the conservation status of the Gouldian finch (Bolton et al 2016) and the res ponse of the species to land management activities, particularly fire.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We also searched Gen-Bank for sequences from related finches. This search produced 38 hits for the Gouldian finch which were produced in a previous population genetics study (Bolton et al 2016). The hydrolysis probe was labelled with the fluorophore HEX at the 5' end and the Iowa Dark quencher at the 3' end (Table 1).…”

Section: Design Of a Species-specific Probementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Gouldian finch Erythrura gouldiae is a brightly coloured passerine bird in the family Estrildidae (Tidemann 1996, Bolton et al 2016. The species has a broad and discontinuous distribution across the savannah woodland of northern Australia (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Development and validation of an environmental DNA test for the endangered Gouldian finch

Day¹,

Campbell²,

Fisher³

et al. 2019

Endang. Species. Res.

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Detecting animals by identifying their DNA in water is a valuable tool for locating and monitoring species that are difficult to detect through other survey techniques. We developed a test for detecting the endangered Gouldian finch Erythrura gouldiae, a small bird endemic to northern Australia. Only 1 previous study has reported an environmental DNA (eDNA) test that unequivocally identifies a bird species using the water bodies from which they drink. In controlled aviary trials with a pair of Gouldian finches, first detection in 200 ml of water occurred after as little as 6 h, but the detection rate was higher at 30 h. DNA persisted in water exposed to the sun for <12 h and in the shade for 12 h. In trials with 55 finches, persistence was up to 144 h. The eDNA test for finches and the Gouldian finch-specific test were positive for waterholes where Gouldian and other finch species were observed each morning over 3 d. Importantly, where no Gouldian finches were observed for up to 72 h prior to water sampling, the Gouldian test was negative. Where other species of finch but no Gouldian finch were observed and counted, the finch test was positive, but the Gouldian finch test was negative. This approach could be developed for broadscale monitoring of this endangered species, and potentially applied to a much broader range of terrestrial species that shed DNA into water bodies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Design Of a Species-specific Probementioning

confidence: 99%

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Development and validation of an environmental DNA test for the endangered Gouldian finch

Day¹,

Campbell²,

Fisher³

et al. 2019

Endang. Species. Res.

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“…While the species shows low site-fidelity (Bolton et al, 2016) and is nomadic during the wet season, tracking resources over extensive areas (Dostine et al, 2001), little is known about its responses to habitat change and habitat fragmentation. However, from its ecology one would expect little hesitation to enter unfamiliar environments due to its nomadic nature, but this may only apply for suitable habitats due to its high habitat specialization.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognition in a Changing World: Red-Headed Gouldian Finches Enter Spatially Unfamiliar Habitats More Readily Than Do Black-Headed Birds

et al. 2020

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Human activities are increasingly confronting animals with unfamiliar environmental conditions. For example, habitat change and loss often lead to habitat fragmentation, which can create barriers of unsuitable and unfamiliar habitat affecting animal movements and survival. When confronted with habitat changes, animals' cognitive abilities play an important, but often neglected part in dealing with such change. Animals must decide whether to approach and investigate novel habitats (spatial neophilia) or whether to avoid them (spatial neophobia) due to potential danger. For species with strict habitat preferences, such as the Gouldian finch (Erythrura gouldiae), which is an open habitat specialist, understanding these novelty responses may be especially important for predicting responses to habitat changes. The Gouldian finch is a polymorphic species, with primarily red or black head colors, which are linked to differing behavioral phenotypes, including novelty reactions. Here we investigate responses to novel habitats (open, dense) in the Gouldian finch, manipulating the color composition of samesex pairs. Two experiments, each consisting of novel open and novel dense habitat, tested birds in opposite head color combinations in the two experiments. We measured the number of approaches birds made (demonstrating conflict between approach and avoidance), and their entry latency to novel habitats. Gouldian finches showed more approach attempts (stronger approach-avoidance conflict) toward the dense as compared to the open habitat, confirming their open habitat preferences. Black-headed birds also hesitated longer to enter the dense habitat as compared to the open habitat, particularly in experiment 1, appearing less neophilic than red-headed birds, which showed similar entry latencies into both habitat types. This is surprising as black-headed birds were more neophilic in other contexts. Moreover, there was some indication that pairings including at least one black-headed bird had a stronger approach-avoidance conflict than pairings of pure red-headed birds. Results suggest that the black-headed

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“…Birds exposed to larger and more frequent fires had poorer condition indices for many months each year compared with birds exposed to infrequent, small fires . Despite the species' high mobility (Bolton et al 2016;Franklin et al 2017), frequent, large fires reduce the spatio-temporal variability in grass seed production on which they depend when foraging (Liedloff et al 2001). Over the next 3-4 years, as fire management reduced the size and frequency of fires in the 'treatment' area, condition indices of birds living there improved .…”

Section: Working At Scalementioning

confidence: 99%

Searching for meaning in the interface between research and management

Legge¹

2018

Pac. Conserv. Biol.

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A key goal in conservation science is to generate information that helps to improve the effectiveness of management, and thus benefit threatened and declining species. I have worked on this issue at the interface of science and management, in both the non-profit and academic sectors. I present examples of some of this research, focussing on research into the causes of, and remedial management for, northern faunal declines. In particular, I present the values of research at large, realistic scales, of considering interactions between threats, and of pairing large-scale work with focal studies on the responses of individual animals to threats and their management. I reflect on the common gap between conservation science and management, and provide thoughts about how this might be bridged. Throughout the article, I try to infuse some of the personal and human elements that are the backstory to any conservation work.

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Three Molecular Markers Show No Evidence of Population Genetic Structure in the Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae)

Cited by 15 publications

References 86 publications

Development and validation of an environmental DNA test for the endangered Gouldian finch

Development and validation of an environmental DNA test for the endangered Gouldian finch

Cognition in a Changing World: Red-Headed Gouldian Finches Enter Spatially Unfamiliar Habitats More Readily Than Do Black-Headed Birds

Searching for meaning in the interface between research and management

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