
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Eldridge, Mark D. B. 
A1  - Rummery, Catherine 
A1  - Bray, Cherylin 
A1  - Zenger, Kyall R. 
A1  - Browning, Teena L. 
A1  - Close, Robert L. 
T1  - Genetic analysis of a population crash in brush-tailed rock-wallabies (<emph type="2">Petrogale penicillata</emph>) from Jenolan Caves, south-eastern Australia
JF  - Wildlife Research
JO  - Wildl. Res.
Y1  - 2004
VL  - 31
IS  - 3
SP  - 229
EP  - 240
KW  - 
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/WR03030 
N2  - Although the theoretical effects of a severe reduction in effective population size (i.e. a bottleneck) are well known, relatively few empirical studies of bottlenecks have been based on extensive temporally spaced samples of a population both before and after a bottleneck. Here we describe the results of one such study, utilising the Jenolan Caves (JC) population of the brush-tailed rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata). When first sampled in 1985 (n = 20) the JC population comprised ~90 individuals. Subsequently the population crashed, and by 1992 only seven individuals remained. In 1996 the entire population (n = 10) was again sampled. Genetic diversity in the pre- and post-crash JC population was compared using 11 polymorphic microsatellite loci and PCR&#8211;SSCP analysis of the mitochondrial DNA control region. Only a single unique control region haplotype was detected in the pre- and post-crash JC population, although variant haplotypes were present in other P. penicillata populations. Of the 35 microsatellite alleles present in the pre-crash population, nine (26%) were lost during the bottleneck. The average number of rare alleles declined by 72%, allelic diversity was reduced by 30% and average heterozygosity declined by 10%. These observations are consistent with theoretical predictions. Additional analyses revealed that a P. penicillata female at Wombeyan Caves was the only survivor of a 1990/91 reintroduction attempt using animals from JC. Of the microsatellite alleles detected in this female, 21% (4/19) were no longer present in the post-crash JC population. Furthermore, the genetic profiles of animals from the recently discovered Taralga population indicate that they are not derived from JC stock, but represent a threatened remnant of a hitherto undetected natural P. penicillata population. 
ER  -

