DNA content and distribution in ancient feathers and potential to reconstruct the
plumage of extinct avian taxa
Supplementary Information
NICOLAS J. RAWLENCE1, JAMIE R. WOOD2, KYLE N. ARMSTRONG1 and ALAN
COOPER1,*
1
Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD), School of Earth and Environmental
Sciences, University of Adelaide, South Australia, 5005.
2
Landcare Research, PO Box 40, Lincoln, New Zealand.
* Corresponding author
Correspondence: alan.cooper@adelaide.edu.au
Sequences have been deposited in Genbank (accession numbers GQ253937-GQ253945)
or Table S3 if less than 50 bp in length.
1
Table S1 Moa and emu feather specimens included in this study. Sequence refers to the
partial mtDNA control region fragment amplified using primers reported in Cooper et al.
(2001); Bunce et al. (2003) and Wood et al. (2008) (Table S1).
Genus
Megalapteryx
Megalapteryx
Megalapteryx
Megalapteryx
Dinornis
Euryapteryx
Pachyornis
?
?
?
Dinornis
Pachyornis
Euryapteryx
?
?
?
Euryapteryx
?
?
Dromaius
Dromaius
Dromaius
Species
didinus
didinus
didinus
didinus
robustus
gravis
elephantopus
?
?
?
robustus
elephantopus
gravis
?
?
?
gravis
?
?
novaehollandiae
novaehollandiae
novaehollandiae
Museum No.1
OM Av10793.1
OM Av10791.1
A 06.49.20.1
A 06.49.20.2
OM Av10793.2
A 06.49.20.3
A 06.49.18
OM Av10797
OM Av10791.2
ACAD7148
ACAD7149
ACAD7150
ACAD7151
ACAD7152
ACAD7153
ACAD7154
ACAD7155
ACAD7158
ACAD7159
ACAD4885-893
ACAD4891-953
ACAD4897-49013
Rockshelter
Roxburgh Gorge B
Roxburgh Gorge C
Sawers
Sawers
Roxburgh Gorge B
Sawers
Sawers
Cainmuir Gully B
Roxburgh Gorge C
Sawers
Sawers
Sawers
Sawers
Sawers
Sawers
Sawers
Sawers
Sawers
Sawers
Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide
Sequence
CR262-294
CR262-419
CR262-419
CR262-419
CR262-419
CR185-419
CR262-294
n/a
n/a
n/a
CR262-294
CR262-294
CR262-294
n/a
n/a
n/a
CR262-419
n/a
n/a
12SE-12SH2
12SE-12SH2
12SE-12SH2
Sub-sample
Calamus
Rachis, barbs
Calamus,
proximal
rachis, distal
rachis, barbs
Genbank No.2
Table S3
GQ253937
GQ253938
GQ253939
GQ253940
GQ253941
Table S3
n/a
n/a
n/a
Table S3
Table S3
Table S3
n/a
n/a
n/a
GQ253942
n/a
n/a
GQ253943
GQ253944
GQ253945
OM: Otago Museum; A: Alexandra Museum; ACAD: Australian Centre for Ancient
DNA.
2
Sequences less than 50 bp can be found in Table S3 (not accepted by Genbank).
3
ACAD number refers to DNA extracts from each feather.
1
Table S2 Primer sequences used in this study.
Primer
CR185F
CR204F
CR262F
CR294R
CR419R
12SE
12SH2
Sequences (5`-3`)
GTACATTCCCTGCATTGGCTC
AGATTTATARCTCGGACA
GCGAAGACTGACTAGAAGC
GCGAGATTTGAACAGTACG
GGGTTGCTGATTTCTCGTGA
CCCACCTAGAGGAGCCTGTTC
CCTTGACCTGTCTTGTTAGC
Reference
Cooper et al. 2001; Bunce et al. 2003
Wood et al. 2008
Cooper et al. 2001; Bunce et al. 2003
Cooper et al. 2001; Bunce et al. 2003
Cooper et al. 2001; Bunce et al. 2003
Cooper et al. 2001
Cooper et al. 2001
2
Table S3 Mitochondrial DNA control region sequences less than 50 bp in length from
sub-fossil moa feathers.
Museum number
OM Av10793.1
A 06.49.18
ACAD7149
ACAD7150
ACAD7151
Sequence
CTATAACCCGGACATGCCCTTTACC
TTATAGCTCGAACATAACTCTTACC
ATAGATTTATAGCTCGGACATAATCTTAACC
ATAGATTTATAGCTCGAACATAACTYTTACC
ATAGATTTATAGCTCGGACATACACTCTACC
Supplementary References
Bunce, M., Worthy, T.H., Ford, T., Hoppitt, W., Willerslev, E., Drummond, A. &
Cooper, A. 2003 Extreme reversed sexual size dimorphism in the extinct New
Zealand moa Dinornis. Nature 425, 172-175.
Cooper, A., Fox-Lalueza, C., Anderson, A., Rambaut, A., Austin, J. & Ward, R. 2001
Complete mitochondrial genome sequences of two extinct moas clarify ratite
evolution. Nature 409, 704-707.
Wood, J.R., Rawlence, N.J., Rogers, G.M., Austin, J.J., Worthy, T.H. & Cooper, A. 2008
Coprolite deposits reveal the diet and ecology of the extinct New Zealand
megaherbivore moa (Aves, Dinornithiformes). Quat. Sci. Rev. 27, 2593-2602.
3