Les hommes ont oublié cette vérité. Mais tu ne dois pas l'oublier, dit le renard. Tu deviens responsable pour toujours de ce que tu as apprivoisé.
Le Petit Prince, chap. 21

Saturday 6 July 2013

DNA to prove cat predation on native carnivores

Glen, A. S., Berry, O., Sutherland, D. R., Garretson, S., Robinson, T., & De Tores, P. J. (2010). Forensic DNA confirms intraguild killing of a chuditch (Dasyurus geoffroii) by a feral cat (Felis catus). Conservation Genetics, 11(3), 1099-1101.

Because animals killed by predators are often found partially consumed or decomposed, identification of the predator is often unachievable by post mortem examination. Forensic DNA offers an alternative in such situations. Using a novel method to analyse DNA from bite wounds on a freshly-killed chuditch Dasyurus geoffroii, we describe the first confirmed instance in this species of intraguild killing by a feral cat. Unlike post mortem examination, our method of DNA melt curve analysis is highly accurate and requires less time and expense than DNA sequencing.

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