Extraction and amplification of DNA from the dried rostra of sawfishes (Pristidae) for applications in conservation genetics

Abstract

DNA was obtained from the skin tissue of a high proportion (198/236) of dry rostra collected during the past ~30 years from the sawfishes Pristis microdon, P. clavata, P. zijsron and Anoxypristis cuspidata. DNA obtained from the dry rostra was usually either non-degraded, or only partly degraded, and was of a quality whereby a 465?468-bp portion of the mtDNA 12S rRNA gene could be PCR-amplified. These findings demonstrate that it is possible to use the dry rostra, which are generally readily available, as a source of DNA in conservation genetic studies of sawfishes. Such studies are needed for the development of effective conservation strategies for these critically endangered species, but would otherwise be greatly constrained by the difficulties of obtaining samples from sufficient numbers of living sawfishes.