DNA preserved in jetsam whale ambergris

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DNA preserved in jetsam whale ambergris. / Macleod, Ruairidh; Sinding, Mikkel Holger S.; Olsen, Morten Tange; Collins, Matthew J.; Rowland, Steven J.

In: Biology Letters, Vol. 16, No. 2, 20190819 , 2020.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Macleod, R, Sinding, MHS, Olsen, MT, Collins, MJ & Rowland, SJ 2020, 'DNA preserved in jetsam whale ambergris', Biology Letters, vol. 16, no. 2, 20190819 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0819

APA

Macleod, R., Sinding, M. H. S., Olsen, M. T., Collins, M. J., & Rowland, S. J. (2020). DNA preserved in jetsam whale ambergris. Biology Letters, 16(2), [20190819 ]. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0819

Vancouver

Macleod R, Sinding MHS, Olsen MT, Collins MJ, Rowland SJ. DNA preserved in jetsam whale ambergris. Biology Letters. 2020;16(2). 20190819 . https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2019.0819

Author

Macleod, Ruairidh ; Sinding, Mikkel Holger S. ; Olsen, Morten Tange ; Collins, Matthew J. ; Rowland, Steven J. / DNA preserved in jetsam whale ambergris. In: Biology Letters. 2020 ; Vol. 16, No. 2.

Bibtex

@article{d0076e35e9ad4cf9b0bb77732922e0a3,
title = "DNA preserved in jetsam whale ambergris",
abstract = "Jetsam ambergris, found on beaches worldwide, has always been assumed to originate as a natural product of sperm whales (Physeteroidea). However, only indirect evidence has ever been produced for this, such as the presence of whale prey remains in ambergris. Here, we extracted and analysed DNA sequences from jetsam ambergris from beaches in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and sequences from ambergris of a sperm whale beached in The Netherlands. The lipid-rich composition of ambergris facilitated high preservation-quality of endogenous DNA, upon which we performed shotgun Illumina sequencing. Alignment of mitochondrial and nuclear genome sequences with open-access reference data for multiple whale species confirms that all three jetsam samples derived originally from sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). Shotgun sequencing here also provides implications for metagenomic insights into ambergris-preserved DNA. These results demonstrate significant implications for elucidating the origins of jetsam ambergris as a prized natural product, and also for the understanding of sperm whale metabolism and diet, and the ecological mechanisms underlying these coproliths.",
keywords = "Ambergris, Ancient DNA, Coprolith, Shotgun sequencing, Sperm whale",
author = "Ruairidh Macleod and Sinding, {Mikkel Holger S.} and Olsen, {Morten Tange} and Collins, {Matthew J.} and Rowland, {Steven J.}",
year = "2020",
doi = "10.1098/rsbl.2019.0819",
language = "English",
volume = "16",
journal = "Biology Letters",
issn = "1744-9561",
publisher = "The/Royal Society",
number = "2",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - DNA preserved in jetsam whale ambergris

AU - Macleod, Ruairidh

AU - Sinding, Mikkel Holger S.

AU - Olsen, Morten Tange

AU - Collins, Matthew J.

AU - Rowland, Steven J.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - Jetsam ambergris, found on beaches worldwide, has always been assumed to originate as a natural product of sperm whales (Physeteroidea). However, only indirect evidence has ever been produced for this, such as the presence of whale prey remains in ambergris. Here, we extracted and analysed DNA sequences from jetsam ambergris from beaches in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and sequences from ambergris of a sperm whale beached in The Netherlands. The lipid-rich composition of ambergris facilitated high preservation-quality of endogenous DNA, upon which we performed shotgun Illumina sequencing. Alignment of mitochondrial and nuclear genome sequences with open-access reference data for multiple whale species confirms that all three jetsam samples derived originally from sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). Shotgun sequencing here also provides implications for metagenomic insights into ambergris-preserved DNA. These results demonstrate significant implications for elucidating the origins of jetsam ambergris as a prized natural product, and also for the understanding of sperm whale metabolism and diet, and the ecological mechanisms underlying these coproliths.

AB - Jetsam ambergris, found on beaches worldwide, has always been assumed to originate as a natural product of sperm whales (Physeteroidea). However, only indirect evidence has ever been produced for this, such as the presence of whale prey remains in ambergris. Here, we extracted and analysed DNA sequences from jetsam ambergris from beaches in New Zealand and Sri Lanka, and sequences from ambergris of a sperm whale beached in The Netherlands. The lipid-rich composition of ambergris facilitated high preservation-quality of endogenous DNA, upon which we performed shotgun Illumina sequencing. Alignment of mitochondrial and nuclear genome sequences with open-access reference data for multiple whale species confirms that all three jetsam samples derived originally from sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus). Shotgun sequencing here also provides implications for metagenomic insights into ambergris-preserved DNA. These results demonstrate significant implications for elucidating the origins of jetsam ambergris as a prized natural product, and also for the understanding of sperm whale metabolism and diet, and the ecological mechanisms underlying these coproliths.

KW - Ambergris

KW - Ancient DNA

KW - Coprolith

KW - Shotgun sequencing

KW - Sperm whale

U2 - 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0819

DO - 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0819

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 32019465

VL - 16

JO - Biology Letters

JF - Biology Letters

SN - 1744-9561

IS - 2

M1 - 20190819

ER -

ID: 238850268