Unlocking Demography: Developing an eDNA-Based Toolkit to Measure Sex Ratios From Populations.

ABSTRACT: Demographic information, such as sex ratios, is essential for understanding population dynamics and informing conservation strategies. Yet obtaining sex ratios in natural populations can be challenging due to logistical, ethical and legal constraints. Environmental DNA (eDNA) has revolutionised non-invasive biodiversity monitoring, but its potential for assessing demographic parameters remains largely unexplored. Here we present an eDNA-based method to monitor sex ratios of populations by quantifying sex-specific SNP alleles. Using RADseq data from Balkan crested newts (Triturus ivanbureschi), we identified a male-specific allele that was consistently present in all males and absent in females. We then developed a Droplet Digital PCR (ddPCR) assay to quantify allele ratios and validated it

SUBMITTER: Didaskalou EA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12715386 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature