Genetic characterization of Brazilian crocodilians and development of microsatellite markers for Paleosuchus trigonatus

Author(s)

Priscilla Marqui Schmidt Villela

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Piracicaba.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALA/BC)
• Defense date: 2009-04-08

Examining board members

Luiz Lehmann Coutinho; Antonio Vargas de Oliveira Figueira; Carlos Ignacio Piña; Luciano Martins Verdade; Maria Imaculada Zucchi

• Advisor: Luiz Lehmann Coutinho

Abstract

Constant loss of biological diversity due to antropic pressure has concentrated attention upon the need to know the genetic diversity of remaining species as the first step in developing management strategies. Molecular techniques provide an estimate of the number of distinct forms, as well as measurements of the extent of their differences. Among these techniques, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequencing along with microsatellite sequences provide information that is potentially capable of detecting any variation between individuals, which makes it an excellent tool for phylogenetic analyses, as well as inter and intraspecific differentiation. In the present work, we used a 1670bp region of mitochondrial DNA including cytochrome b and a 630bp portion of the nuclear gene c-mos to analyze the phylogenetic relationship among Brazilian crocodilian species. PCR-RFLP markers based on cytochrome b mitochondrial DNA were developed for the molecular identification of six Brazilian crocodilian species. This technique is not only important for the identification of species, but it is also useful as an official methodology for controlling commercialization and exportation of crocodilian meat and leather. Broad-snouted caimans (Caiman latirostris) geographic distribution comprises one of the widest latitudinal ranges among all crocodilians. In the present study, we used microsatellite markers to test the hypothesis that genetic variation is related to geographic distance, on a small and large scale, and if the genetic variability of a species is correlated to coastal and inland subbiomes. It was not possible to transfer microsatellite markers to Paleosuchus trigonatus, so new genetic markers were characterized for the species by constructing a microsatellite enriched DNA library. (AU)