Population Genetic Structure in Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) and Identification of the Probable Origin of Confiscated Individuals.

Understanding the intraspecific genetic composition of populations in different geographic locations is important for the conservation of species. If genetic variability is structured, conservation strategies should seek to preserve the diversity of units. Also, origin of individuals can be determined, which is important for guiding actions against animal trafficking. The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is located in allopatric regions, vulnerable to extinction and suffering animal trafficking pressure. Therefore, we characterized its population genetic structure based on 10 microsatellites from 98 individuals and 2123bp of mitochondrial sequence (ND5, cytochrome b, and ND2) from 80 individuals. Moderate to high levels of differentiation were observed among 3 geographic regions of Brazil: the north/northeast of the country, the north Pantanal, and the south Pantanal. Differentiation between the 2 regions within the Pantanal was not expected, as they are relatively close and there is no known barrier to macaw movement between these regions. These genetically differentiated groups were estimated to have diverged 16000 to 42000 years ago. The low genetic variability observed seems not to be the result of past bottlenecks, although a star-shaped haplotype network and the mismatch distribution suggest that there was recent demographic expansion in the north and northeast. Environmental changes in the Holocene could have caused this expansion. Given the genetic structure observed, the most probable regions of origin of 24 confiscated individuals were identified. Thus, these data helped to trace illegal traffic routes and identify natural populations that are being illegally harvested.

Non-invasive genetic sampling for molecular sexing and microsatellite genotyping of hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus).

Molted feather sampling is a useful tool for genetic analyses of endangered species, but it is often very laborious due to the low quality and quantity of the DNA obtained. In the present study we show the parts of feathers that resulted in better yield of DNA. In descending order these were: blood clot outside the umbilicus, umbilicus (without blood clot), tip, inner membrane, and small calamus. Compared to DNA extracted from blood samples, DNA extracted from feathers produced microsatellite alleles of poorer quality and had to be processed immediately after extraction. As expected due to the level of DNA degradation, molecular sexing protocols that result in shorter PCR products were more efficient.