DNA Species Identification for Seized Helmeted Hornbill (Rhinoplax Vigil) Casques: Standardisation and Validation

Hatten, Chloe E.R.; Fitriana, Yuli; Prigge, Tracey-Leigh; Irham, Mohammad; Sutrisno, Hari; Abinawanto, Dr; Dingle, Caroline

doi:10.2139/ssrn.4112958

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

References 34 publications

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“…Sample areas, drill bits and scalpels were sterilised with 5% bleach and then double‐distilled water (ddH 2 O) to remove surface contamination prior to sampling. DNA was extracted using a phenol‐chloroform:isoamyl alcohol (PCIA) method modified for extracting DNA from hornbill casques (Hatten et al ., in review, 2022). Samples were incubated in 0.6 mL cetyl trimethylammonium bromide buffer, 0.4 mg proteinase K and 10 μL freshly made 1 M dithiothreitol for 12 h at 65°C.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Three birds with one stone? Sex ratios of seized critically endangered helmeted hornbill casques reveal illegal hunting of males, females and juveniles

Hatten

Tilley

Hadiprakarsa

et al. 2022

Animal Conservation

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Hunted wildlife can often be used to answer questions about wild individuals. Sex ratios of hunted individuals can be important for understanding changes in population demographics and viability. Here we determined the sex ratio of the illegally hunted helmeted hornbill Rhinoplax vigil, a critically endangered species from Southeast Asia, to examine their vulnerability to hunters. Using casques seized in Hong Kong SAR between 2012 and 2016, we identified the sex of seized individuals using morphological and molecular methods as well as discriminant analysis. As R. vigil females can spend up to 6 months of the year sealed into tree cavity nests, they are reliant on males for food. The unique breeding ecology of this elusive species means that males are more likely to be observed than females throughout the year. These behavioural differences mean that there are several potential outcomes which may be observed in the sex ratio of the seized casques, depending on hunting strategies. Our results suggest that sex identification is possible via visual inspection of the gular skin colour and beak‐tip markings, but when these are not available, genetic methods or morphological measurements can be used. Our findings also indicated a primarily male‐biased sex ratio across the seizures; however, females, as well as juveniles, were also present in seizures. Although removing one sex from the wild can cause shifts in demographic dynamics over time, illegal and unsustainable hunting of any measure of a critically endangered species will ultimately heighten its risk of extinction. These methods and results are useful to conservationists and researchers interested in further study of hornbill populations and their viability and are ultimately important for the conservation and management of this critically endangered species.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%