{"id":1011,"date":"2019-04-07T09:00:56","date_gmt":"2019-04-07T13:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/?p=1011"},"modified":"2020-07-16T10:58:38","modified_gmt":"2020-07-16T14:58:38","slug":"scat-raiders-unravel-animal-plant-interactions-in-lebanon-using-dna-barcoding-tools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/research\/scat-raiders-unravel-animal-plant-interactions-in-lebanon-using-dna-barcoding-tools\/","title":{"rendered":"Scat Raiders Unravel Animal-Plant Interactions in Lebanon Using DNA Barcoding Tools"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22&#8243; background_blend=&#8221;multiply&#8221;][et_pb_fullwidth_header title=&#8221;@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90aXRsZSIsInNldHRpbmdzIjp7ImJlZm9yZSI6IiIsImFmdGVyIjoiIn19@&#8221; subhead=&#8221;@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9leGNlcnB0Iiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJ3b3JkcyI6IiIsInJlYWRfbW9yZV9sYWJlbCI6IiJ9fQ==@&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.21.4&#8243; _dynamic_attributes=&#8221;title,subhead&#8221; content_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; content_text_color=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0.8)&#8221; subhead_font=&#8221;||on||||||&#8221; subhead_text_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; subhead_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; background_color=&#8221;rgba(168,211,103,0)&#8221; use_background_color_gradient=&#8221;on&#8221; background_color_gradient_start=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_color_gradient_end=&#8221;rgba(168,211,103,0.93)&#8221; background_color_gradient_end_position=&#8221;85%&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/v4.boldsystems.org_7125_animalia.png&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221;][\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][et_pb_fullwidth_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/Lebanon-Main.jpg&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; max_width=&#8221;95%&#8221; module_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-20px||20px&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243;][\/et_pb_fullwidth_image][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;0|0px|95px|0px|false|false&#8221;][et_pb_row module_class=&#8221; et_pb_row_fullwidth&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; width=&#8221;89%&#8221; width_tablet=&#8221;80%&#8221; width_phone=&#8221;&#8221; width_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; max_width=&#8221;89%&#8221; max_width_tablet=&#8221;80%&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0|0px|27px|0px|false|false&#8221; make_fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||on||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#646564&#8243;]Plant collection in Ehden Nature Reserve \u2013 north Lebanon.\n\nPHOTO CREDIT: Saint Joseph University[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;3_4,1_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;||59px|||&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;3_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243;]<p><span class='et-dropcap'>L<\/span>ebanon is considered a hotspot for biodiversity in the Mediterranean basin likely due to its geographic position at the transition of two major landmasses (that is Eurasia and Africa). The Lebanese territory is divided between mountainous slopes with fertile valleys separating the two mountain chains that run parallel with the sea and the steppe areas in the north-east. Deep canyons and numerous rivers characterize this mountainous landscape.<\/p>\n<p>These geomorphological regions give rise to many bio-climatic zones and several habitat types that are home to more than 9,116 described species (4,486 for fauna and 4,630 for flora from which 91 are endemic). However, major taxonomic groups like insects and fungi are understudied and taxa are underrepresented within public data platforms. For example, according to the <a href=\"www.boldsystems.org\">Barcode of Life Data System (BOLD)<\/a>, only 345 Lebanese specimens with sequences are published, forming 151 BINs and, of these records, only 108 have species names.<\/p>\n<p>In September 2018, the Faculty of Science at Saint Joseph University of Beirut joined the iBOL Consortium providing us with the opportunity to unravel Lebanese biodiversity by DNA barcoding both small and large mammals as well as the main trees and shrubs used in reforestation programs. We will also target endemic plant species.<\/p>\n<p>Animals are a crucial component for the resilience of forest ecosystems and an important factor in forest restoration projects as they promote the sustainability of reintroduced plants, as well as seed dispersal. However, we still need to identify the animals present in restored areas.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb image=&#8221;https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Lebanon-Picture-2.jpg&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22.2&#8243; body_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; body_text_align=&#8221;right&#8221; body_text_color=&#8221;#646564&#8243; body_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||50px&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;#929292&#8243;]Animal scat collection.\n<span style=\"font-size: 90%;\">PHOTO CREDIT: Saint Joseph University<\/span>[\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||1px|||&#8221;]<p><span style=\"font-size: 18px;\">In addition, knowing what each animal eats and which plant seeds are being dispersed is crucial for reforestation schemes that promote wildlife and ensure ecosystem sustainability. The information needed to study the diets of animals can be found hidden in their scat which contains not only the animal\u2019s DNA, but also what that animal has eaten. With the powerful technique of DNA metabarcoding, we now have the necessary tool to efficiently unravel the genetic information hidden in animal scat. The DNA sequences obtained from such material are identified by comparison to a reference library of animals and plants of the Eastern Mediterranean countries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb image=&#8221;https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Lebanon-Picture-3-1024&#215;732.jpg&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.7&#8243; body_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; body_text_align=&#8221;right&#8221; body_text_color=&#8221;#646564&#8243; body_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||50px&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; border_color_all=&#8221;#929292&#8243; alt=&#8221;Constructing the Reference Library: DNA isolation Photo credit: Universit\u00e9 Saint-Joseph&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Lebanon-Picture 3&#8243;]<p>Constructing the Reference Library &#8211; DNA isolation.<br \/> <span style=\"font-size: 90%;\">PHOTO CREDIT: Saint Joseph University<\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221;]This reference library was prepared from leaves collected in the wild and from DNA isolated from dead animals found along roads or from private museums. Thus, we have generated sequences for 51 plants and 18 mammals.\n\nThis study conducted in collaboration with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the University of Otago is the first to employ a DNA dietary analysis on wildlife in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and explicitly considering the role of wildlife in ecological restoration processes. Our results will inform management strategies to help with the conservation efforts of these imperiled species.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||on||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#646564&#8243; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221;]<p>Written by<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_team_member name=&#8221;Carole Saliba&#8221; position=&#8221;Faculty of Science, Saint-Joseph University&#8221; image_url=&#8221;https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Carole_Saliba_headshot.png&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.21.4&#8243; header_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_text_align=&#8221;center&#8221; body_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; border_radii_image=&#8221;on|50px|50px|50px|50px&#8221;][\/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_team_member name=&#8221;Liliane Boukhdoud&#8221; position=&#8221;Faculty of Science, Saint-Joseph University&#8221; image_url=&#8221;https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Liliane_Boukhdoud_1.png&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22.2&#8243; header_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_text_align=&#8221;center&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;19px&#8221; body_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; body_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; border_radii_image=&#8221;on|50px|50px|50px|50px&#8221;][\/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_team_member name=&#8221;Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat&#8221; position=&#8221;Faculty of Science, Saint-Joseph University&#8221; image_url=&#8221;https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Magda_Kharrat.png&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22.2&#8243; header_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_text_align=&#8221;center&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;19px&#8221; body_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; body_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; border_radii_image=&#8221;on|50px|50px|50px|50px&#8221;][\/et_pb_team_member][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;3.21.4&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;||1px&#8221;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243; _dynamic_attributes=&#8221;content&#8221; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221;]@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9kYXRlIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJkYXRlX2Zvcm1hdCI6ImRlZmF1bHQiLCJjdXN0b21fZGF0ZV9mb3JtYXQiOiIifX0=@[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_button button_url=&#8221;https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/2019_Saliba.pdf&#8221; url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; button_text=&#8221;Download PDF&#8221; button_alignment=&#8221;center&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.7&#8243; custom_button=&#8221;on&#8221; button_text_size=&#8221;12px&#8221; button_text_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; button_bg_color=&#8221;#003254&#8243; button_icon=&#8221;%%26%%&#8221; button_icon_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset3&#8243; box_shadow_horizontal=&#8221;3px&#8221; box_shadow_vertical=&#8221;11px&#8221;][\/et_pb_button][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.7&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;13px&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|||-28px|false|false&#8221; custom_margin_tablet=&#8221;|||0px|false|false&#8221; custom_margin_phone=&#8221;&#8221; custom_margin_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<pre>doi: 10.21083\/ibol.v9i1.5489<\/pre>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=&#8221;3.21.4&#8243;][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_sidebar area=&#8221;et_pb_widget_area_3&#8243; show_border=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;dark&#8221;][\/et_pb_sidebar][et_pb_sidebar area=&#8221;et_pb_widget_area_1&#8243; show_border=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.21.4&#8243;][\/et_pb_sidebar][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|20px||20px&#8221; border_width_all=&#8221;2px&#8221; border_color_all=&#8221;#f9c352&#8243; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||on||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#646564&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.6em&#8221; header_4_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_4_text_color=&#8221;#003254&#8243; header_5_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_5_text_color=&#8221;#ff9200&#8243;]<h4>Read more about Lebanon:<\/h4>\n<p><span class=\"et_pb_fullwidth_header_subhead\"><\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.4.7&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||on||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#646564&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.6em&#8221; header_4_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_4_text_color=&#8221;#003254&#8243; header_5_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_5_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; link_option_url=&#8221;https:\/\/ibol.org\/news\/ibol-science-committee-member-recognized\/&#8221; link_option_url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; header_5_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;on&#8221; header_5_text_color__hover=&#8221;#ff9200&#8243;]<h5 class=\"et_pb_module_header\">i<span>BOL SCIENCE COMMITTEE MEMBER RECOGNIZED AS \u201cFACE OF EXCHANGE\u201d BY U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT<\/span><\/h5>\n<p><span class=\"et_pb_fullwidth_header_subhead\"><em><span>Magda Bou Dagher Kharrat, a leader in DNA barcoding and conservation in Lebanon, has been named as a notable alumnus of the U.S. State Department\u2019s\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/exchanges.state.gov\/non-us\/program\/international-visitor-leadership-program-ivlp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">International Visitor Leadership Program<\/a><span>.<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||on||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#646564&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.6em&#8221; header_4_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_4_text_color=&#8221;#003254&#8243; header_5_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_5_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; link_option_url=&#8221;https:\/\/ibol.org\/news\/how-bioscan-is-inspiring-the-next-generation-of-researchers\/&#8221; link_option_url_new_window=&#8221;on&#8221; header_5_text_color__hover_enabled=&#8221;on&#8221; header_5_text_color__hover=&#8221;#ff9200&#8243;]<h5 class=\"et_pb_module_header\">HOW BIOSCAN IS INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION OF RESEARCHERS<\/h5>\n<p><span class=\"et_pb_fullwidth_header_subhead\"><em>\u201c<\/em><em>They were enlightened by the idea of discovering new species and by the possibility of<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><em>doing so<\/em><em><span>\u00a0<\/span>using DNA barcoding tool<\/em><em>s.\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.22&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;0|0px|2px|0px|false|false&#8221;][et_pb_row module_class=&#8221; et_pb_row_fullwidth&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; width=&#8221;89%&#8221; width_tablet=&#8221;80%&#8221; width_phone=&#8221;&#8221; width_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; max_width=&#8221;89%&#8221; max_width_tablet=&#8221;80%&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; make_fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_post_nav in_same_term=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243; title_font=&#8221;|700||on|||||&#8221; title_text_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221;][\/et_pb_post_nav][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; disabled_on=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Follow Along&#8221; module_id=&#8221;subscribe&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#f7f7f7&#8243; use_background_color_gradient=&#8221;on&#8221; background_color_gradient_start=&#8221;#d8d8d8&#8243; background_color_gradient_end=&#8221;rgba(255,255,255,0)&#8221; background_color_gradient_end_position=&#8221;52%&#8221; background_color_gradient_overlays_image=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/v4.boldsystems.org_7125_animalia.png&#8221; parallax=&#8221;on&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;49px||0||false|false&#8221; top_divider_height=&#8221;69px&#8221; global_module=&#8221;175&#8243; saved_tabs=&#8221;all&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_4,1_2,1_4&#8243; module_class=&#8221; et_pb_row_fullwidth&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; width=&#8221;89%&#8221; width_tablet=&#8221;80%&#8221; width_phone=&#8221;&#8221; width_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; max_width=&#8221;89%&#8221; max_width_tablet=&#8221;80%&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;0px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;27px|0px|114px|0px|false|false&#8221; make_fullwidth=&#8221;on&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243; header_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;28px&#8221; header_2_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_2_font_size=&#8221;28px&#8221;]<h2>Don&#8217;t Miss Out!<\/h2>\n<p>Subscribe to the iBOL Barcode Bulletin for updates on DNA barcoding efforts, the iBOL Consortium, and more.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;3.21&#8243;][mc4wp_form][\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||on||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#ffffff&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;13px&#8221; header_3_text_align=&#8221;center&#8221; header_3_text_color=&#8221;#a8d367&#8243; header_3_font_size=&#8221;27px&#8221; text_orientation=&#8221;center&#8221;]<h3>comment on this article<\/h3>\n<p><em>The Barcode Bulletin moderates comments to\u00a0promote an informed and courteous conversation. Abusive, profane, self-promotional, or incoherent comments will be rejected.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_comments show_avatar=&#8221;off&#8221; show_reply=&#8221;off&#8221; show_count=&#8221;off&#8221; disabled_on=&#8221;off|off|off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; header_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; form_field_font=&#8221;||on||||||&#8221; form_field_text_align=&#8221;left&#8221; custom_button=&#8221;on&#8221; button_text_size=&#8221;13px&#8221; button_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;|50px||50px|false|false&#8221;][\/et_pb_comments][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.21.3&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;0|0px|0|0px|false|false&#8221; border_width_all=&#8221;-2px&#8221; border_width_top=&#8221;3px&#8221; border_color_top=&#8221;#a8d367&#8243; global_module=&#8221;532&#8243; saved_tabs=&#8221;all&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_3,2_3&#8243; make_equal=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/BarcodeBulletin.png&#8221; align_tablet=&#8221;center&#8221; align_phone=&#8221;&#8221; align_last_edited=&#8221;on|desktop&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;3.29.3&#8243; max_width_tablet=&#8221;38%&#8221; max_width_phone=&#8221;&#8221; max_width_last_edited=&#8221;on|phone&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;2_3&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;3.25&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; custom_css_main_element=&#8221;margin:auto;&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;3.27.4&#8243; text_font=&#8221;||||||||&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221;]<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/about-the-barcode-bulletin\">About the Bulletin<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/glossary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Glossary<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/about-the-barcode-bulletin\"><\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/journal.lib.uoguelph.ca\/index.php\/ibol\/index\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Archive<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/ibol.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">iBOL Consortium<\/a> | <a href=\"http:\/\/ibol.org\/news-and-media\/news-and-events\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">iBOL News<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/contact-us\/\">Contact Us<\/a><\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Using DNA dietary analysis on Eastern Mediterranean wildlife to explore the role of animals in ecological restoration processes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":3134,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p><em>C. Matthews<\/em><sup><em>1<\/em><\/sup><em>, J. Dorey<\/em><sup><em>1<\/em><\/sup><em>, S. Groom<\/em><sup><em>2<\/em><\/sup><em>, O. Davies<\/em><sup><em>1<\/em><\/sup><em>, E. Freedman<\/em><sup><em>1<\/em><\/sup><em>, J. Holder<\/em><sup><em>1<\/em><\/sup><em>, B. Parslow<\/em><sup><em>1<\/em><\/sup><em>, M. Schwarz<\/em><sup><em>1<\/em><\/sup><em>, M. Stevens<\/em><sup><em>3,4<\/em><\/sup><\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph {\"fontSize\":\"small\"} -->\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size\"><sup>1 <\/sup>School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia <br><sup>2 <\/sup>School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia <br><sup>3 <\/sup>South Australian Museum, GPO Box 234, Adelaide SA 5001, Australia <br><sup>4 <\/sup>School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Fiji\u2019s entomological diversity has historically\nbeen considered depauperate. Recent widespread DNA barcoding efforts, however,\nfrom the South Australian Museum, Flinders University and University of South\nAustralia, along with a flurry of undergraduate, honours and PhD students, have\nhelped to uncover some of the hidden secrets of biodiversity within this\ntopographically complex archipelago.<\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>Since 2010, funding from the Australian\n&amp; Pacific Science Foundation and Australian Commonwealth New Colombo Plan, along\nwith support from students, has enabled fieldwork focused on collecting bees,\nwasps, and butterflies across all the major Fijian islands. Trekking up the\ntallest mountains, four wheel driving across challenging terrain, and following\nthe meandering rivers of inland Fiji has revealed that initial estimations of\nFiji\u2019s entomological fauna have been severely underestimated. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>DNA barcoding over 1,000 bee specimens has increased species richness estimates from 4 species (known since 1979) up to 26 endemic species in the genus <em>Homalictus. <\/em>Interestingly, 60% of these new species are only found above 800 m elevation which comprise a mere 2% of land area of Fiji, and often restricted to single mountain tops. From extensive barcoding, mitochondrial haplotype diversity was used to explore the level of intraspecific gene flow in the widespread species of the genus. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->\n\n<!-- wp:image {\"id\":69,\"align\":\"right\",\"linkDestination\":\"media\"} -->\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fijiensis-Haplotype-FINISHED.jpg\"><img src=\"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/03\/Fijiensis-Haplotype-FINISHED-300x295.jpg\" alt=\"Haplotype network of all sequenced HOMALICTUS fijiensis (N=358) coloured by sampling locality. Hash marks represent nucleotide changes between each haplotype. Shared haplotypes represented by circles with multiple colours. Circle outline representing highland or lowland sampling. (b) Sampling map of H. fijiensis coloured by geographic sampling locality.\" class=\"wp-image-69\"\/><\/a><figcaption>Haplotype network of all sequenced HOMALICTUS fijiensis (N=358) coloured by sampling locality. Hash marks represent nucleotide changes between each haplotype. Shared haplotypes represented by circles with multiple colours. Circle outline representing highland or lowland sampling. (b) Sampling map of H. fijiensis coloured by geographic sampling locality.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n<!-- \/wp:image -->\n\n<!-- wp:paragraph -->\n<p>These results also indicate that gene flow is being restricted within highland localities of the most widespread <em>Homalictus <\/em>species. Dispersal from a species home range does not appear to be occurring in Fiji, which may be presenting a contemporary model of speciation that is predominantly influenced by past climatic fluctuations. There is an estimated crown age of 400 ka for the initial Fijian <em>Homalictus <\/em>colonisation, which would result in the genus being present for several glacial cycles. During glacial maxima, cooler climate would be ubiquitous throughout Fiji, however during glacial minima and interglacial periods there is a distinction between cool highland and warm lowland climate. DNA barcoding results indicate that the largest diversification of this genus is concordant with the most recent glacial minima, as species that were freely dispersing during glacial maxima are forced to retreat into highland refugia. Combined with the inferred haplotype networks, these results indicate that restriction due to low thermal tolerance of lowland climate is driving the extraordinary highland species richness in Fiji. Further to the work on bees, we have also started barcoding Fiji\u2019s butterfly fauna, along with the first ever species of <em>Gasteruption<\/em>, a parasitoid wasp genus, found in Fiji. The species, <em>Gasteruption tomanivi<\/em> (Published in Zootaxa by PhD student Ben Parslow), was found at the peak of Fiji\u2019s highest mountain. These discoveries have highlighted how little is known about the entomofauna of Fiji and how the use of DNA barcoding has helped to uncover Fiji\u2019s hidden secrets of biodiversity. <\/p>\n<!-- \/wp:paragraph -->","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[28,43,39,109,38,25,45],"coauthors":[139,138,137],"class_list":["post-1011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-research","tag-conservation","tag-diet","tag-environmental-restoration","tag-hotspots","tag-lebanon","tag-plantae","tag-reference-library"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1011"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4576,"href":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1011\/revisions\/4576"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1011"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ibol.org\/barcodebulletin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=1011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}