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VERTEBRATES

DNA barcoding of Austria´s Vertebrates

  • Martes foina (c) P. Sehnal

Fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals constitute the taxon Vertebrata, or vertebrates. The very different climatic and hydrologic environments in Austria are mirrored by a large variety of habitats and, as a result, also vertebrate diversity. According to the Red Lists there are 460 species of vertebrates in Austria (84 fishes, 20 amphibians, 14 reptiles, 241 (breeding) birds and 101 mammals), about 10% of which are threatened with extinction and a large number of which is at least potentially imperiled. Seven species (6 fishes, 1 mammal) are endemic to Austria, i. e. occur nowhere else.

Vertebrates are undoubtedly the native animals best known to lay people; among the invertebrates, perhaps only butterflies are similarly well-known and popular. Vertebrates are therefore well suited to function as flagship and umbrella species because there is an immense number of invertebrates, plants and fungi that occur in the same habitats and that would hence benefit from the protection of vertebrates. Although vertebrates are undoubtedly the best-studied animal group, there are still often surprising research results, even in taxonomy, for instance when what was previously believed to be a single species turns out to comprise two or more different (so-called cryptic) species. A first but important hint at such an underestimation of biodiversity can be given by barcoding. By means of a geographically and taxonomically comprehensive barcoding approach, new research projects can thus be instigated which in turn will yield new knowledge about and a deeper understanding of Austrian biodiversity.

The aim of the pilot project ABOL vertebrates was to determine from which vertebrate species already barcodes on BOLD exist and what potentially barcode-suitable material is already available at Austrian museums. Further, barcodes of selected vertebrate groups should be created. The project was led by the Department of Zoology at the Karl-Franzens-University Graz, in cooperation with the Natural History Museum Vienna and further institutions throughout the country. Before the project started, only 168 sequences of 34 vertebrate species were available on BOLD. With the help of a primer set developed and established within the project, which also allows the processing of old museum material with degenerated DNA, a total of 919 COI barcodes of 198 species (fish & lampreys: 511 barcodes/62 species; amphibians: 77/20; reptiles: 62/14; birds: 83/51; mammals: 186/51) could be generated, whereby e.g. all native reptile species are covered. In addition, 77 D-loop and 109 RPS7 sequences were generated for a more detailed investigation of the taxonomic situation and genetic structure of the native gudgeons. Thus, a new, previously unknown, endemic relic species was discovered in the Upper Mur. This was not to be expected in Austria, but shows the lack of knowledge about the native gudgeons.

The barcoding of native vertebrates will be continued within the HRSM project. All obtained barcodes will be available on BOLD in the future.

Project Leader

Dr. Stephan Koblmüller
University of Graz

Project leader

Dr. Frank Zachos
NHM Vienna

Team

Dr. Sylvia Schäffer
University of Graz

Mag. Wolfgang Gessl
University of Graz

Daniel Daill
University of Graz

Lukas Zangl
University of Graz

Alexander Kostmann
University of Graz

Anna Lena Hofstätter
University of Graz

Publications:

281293 KAB3XLVM vertebrates items 1 apa author asc 1 1 title https://www.abol.ac.at/wp-content/plugins/zotpress/
Friedrich, T., Wieser, C., Unfer, G., Pinter, K., Daill, D., Zangl, S., & Koblmüller, S. (2015). Eine neue, unbeschriebene Gründlingsart der Gattung Romanogobio in der Oberen Mur – Eine erste Beschreibung anhand morphologischer Merkmale und DNA-Barcodes. Österreichs Fischerei, 68(4), 91–99. Cite
Friedrich, T., Wiesner, C., Zangl, L., Daill, D., Freyhof, J., & Koblmüller, S. (2018). Romanogobio skywalkeri, a new gudgeon (Teleostei: Gobionidae) from the upper Mur River, Austria. Zootaxa, 4403(2), 336–350. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4403.2.6 Cite
Schäffer, S., Zachos, F. E., & Koblmüller, S. (2017). Opening the treasure chest: A DNA-barcoding primer set for most higher taxa of Central European birds and mammals from museum collections. PLOS ONE, 12(3), e0174449. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174449 Cite Download
Zangl, L., Daill, D., Schweiger, S., Gassner, G., & Koblmüller, S. (2020). A reference DNA barcode library for Austrian amphibians and reptiles. PlosOne, 15(3), e0229353. Cite
Zangl, L., Daill, D., Gessl, W., Friedrich, T., & Koblmüller, S. (2020). Austrian gudgeons of the genus Gobio (Teleostei: Gobionidae): A mixture of divergent lineages. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 58, 327–340. https://doi.org/10.1111/jzs.12340 Cite

Projects

  • Photo: Nikolaus SzucsichGround beetles25. November, 2020 - 15:54
  • Foto: Nikolaus SzucsichHoverflies25. November, 2020 - 15:43
  • Photo: Rudolf PavuzaRoot stalagmites8. November, 2020 - 16:47
  • Foto: UmweltbundesamtDetection of the weatherfish with eDNA28. October, 2020 - 16:38
  • Foto: Edwin KnihaSand flies30. September, 2020 - 10:04
  • Spring snails30. June, 2020 - 21:38
  • Lepidoptera of Lower Austria10. March, 2020 - 15:32
  • Rhagium bifasciatum (c) M. SonnleitnerDNA barcoding of forest insects10. March, 2020 - 11:15
  • Lymnaea stagnalisLymnaea stagnalis (c) C. HörwegeDNA project Cercaria24. February, 2020 - 15:27
  • Cordulegaster herosCordulegaster heros (c) I. FischerCrayfish and dragonflies of Vienna13. February, 2020 - 13:58
  • Trichobilharzia; (c) S. ReierCercaria Project23. May, 2019 - 13:54
  • Elmis rietscheliDNA barcoding of Elmidae25. July, 2017 - 10:09
  • Lichen Caloplaca24. March, 2015 - 10:40
  • Parasitic Worms2. September, 2014 - 18:25
  • Papilio machaonButterflies & Moths9. September, 2014 - 23:15
  • Weinbergschnecke (Helix pomatia)N. SzucsichMolluscs2. September, 2014 - 18:13
  • Dragonflies of Vienna4. August, 2017 - 12:13
  • Ichthyosaura alpestrisVertebrates9. September, 2014 - 22:38
  • Gonopteryx rhamniN. SzucsichDNA barcoding of butterflies of Vorarlberg7. March, 2017 - 14:54
  • Koblacher Ried (c) G. FriebeButterflies of the Koblacher Ried14. March, 2017 - 14:47

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