A non-invasive molecular genetic technique for sex identification of Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica), the last living relative of Dodo bird
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Abstract
Nicobar pigeon (Caloenas nicobarica) is the last surviving member of the genus Caloenas and the closest living relative of the extinct Dodo bird. It is classified as a near-threatened species that is illegally trapped for consumption, extraction of decorative gizzard stones, and as pets due to its size and attractive appearance. Captive breeding is essential for conservation effort and potential future commercialization of Nicobar pigeon. However, it is difficult due to the sexually-monomorphic and monogamous nature of the species. A non-invasive PCR-based technique for sex identification of Nicobar pigeon was presented here, which provided a fast and reliable method that achieves accurate results within 8 hours. Using feather samples individually obtained from captive Nicobar pigeons, results were also compared between molecular sexing method against traditional morphology-based sexing methods by vent and hackle length. However, no correlation was found between the molecular and morphological methods. Additionally, bioinformatic analysis of the amplified DNA sequence was performed for Nicobar pigeon, which showed its phylogenetic relationship with other members of the pigeon and dove family (Columbidae). This research finding is the first to show a safe, fast, and reliable method for sex identification of Caloenas bird. The proposed molecular sexing method is suitable for utilization in captive breeding program, applicable for field deployment, and potentially useful for agricultural applications
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