Acronym: Barmar
Collaborators: Zoltán T. Nagy (JEMU), Gontran Sonet (JEMU)
Year: 2009
Summary: The biota of Madagascar is most fascinating because of the unique level of diversity associated with a high degree of endemism. Characteristic is the existence of an extraordinary rich extant reptile fauna including about 360 known species. At the same time, habitat destruction and other human activities seriously threaten the long-term sustainment of this fauna. In the current proposal, we aim to assess the overall genetic diversity of the Malagasy reptile fauna on species level using DNA barcoding. Thereby, we will use a unique tissue collection (corresponding to the specimen collections of some major natural history museums) representing the vast majority of the Malagasy reptile species. In this framework, we also try to develop standard primers for various reptile lineages.
Output:
- Peer-reviewed paper: Island evolution and systematic revision of Comoran snakes: Why and when subspecies still make sense. Hawlitschek, O., Nagy, Z.T. & Glaw, F. 2012. PLoS ONE 7: e42970.
- Peer-reviewed paper: First Large-Scale DNA Barcoding Assessment of Reptiles in the Biodiversity Hotspot of Madagascar, Based on Newly Designed COI Primers. Nagy, Z.T., Sonet, G., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. 2012. PLoS ONE 7 (3) p.e34506.
- Peer-reviewed paper: Systematics of the snake genera Stenophis and Lycodryas from Madagascar and the Comoros. Nagy, Z.T., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. 2010. Zoologica Scripta 39: 426-435.
- Book chapter: DNA barcoding of amphibians and reptiles. Vences, M., Nagy Z.T., Sonet G. & Verheyen, E. in press. Methods in Molecular Biology; DNA barcodes: protocols and methods.
- Printed abstract: DNA Barcoding of reptiles: practical aspects. Nagy, Z.T., Sonet, G., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. 2011. In 4th International DNA Barcoding of Life Conference, Adelaide, Australia, 28 Nov – 03 Dec 2011.
- Printed abstract: Assessing squamate diversity in Madagascar using the DNA barcoding approach. Nagy, Z.T., Sonet, G., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. 2011. In BioSystematics Berlin 2011, Berlin, Germany, 21-27 February 2011.
- Printed abstract: DNA barcoding of Malagasy reptiles. Nagy, Z.T., Sonet, G., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. 2009. In 15th European Congress of Herpetology, Kusadasi, Turkey, 28 September – 2 October 2009.