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Wiley InterScience | |||||||||||||
 Molecular Ecology NotesVolume 6 Issue 4, Pages 959 - 964 Published Online: 7 Jul 2006 © 2007 The Authors Journal compilation © 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Abstract | References | Full Text: HTML, PDF (Size: 213K) | Related Articles | Citation Tracking  BARCODING A minimalist barcode can identify a specimen whose DNA is degraded Copyright © 2006 The Authors Journal compilation © 2006 Blackwell Publishing Ltd KEYWORDS COI • DNA barcoding • DNA degradation • fish • Lepidoptera • museum specimens • parasitic wasps • taxonomy Abstract
A DNA barcode based on 650 bp of mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase I is proving to be highly functional in species identification for various animal groups. However, DNA degradation complicates the recovery of a full-length barcode from many museum specimens. Here we explore the use of shorter barcode sequences for identification of such specimens. We recovered short sequences — i.e. ∼100 bp — with a single PCR pass from more than 90% of the specimens in assemblages of moth and wasp museum specimens from which full barcode recovery was only 50%, and the latter were usually less than 8 years old. Short barcodes were effective in identifying specimens, confirming their utility in circumstances where full barcodes are too expensive to obtain and the identification comparisons are within a confined taxonomic group. Received 3 March 2006; revision received 21 April 2006; accepted 24 May 2006 | 
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