Exploring the dietary niche of Atlantolacerta andreanskyi (Lacertidae) using DNA metabarcoding

Abstract

Determining the dietary niche is an essential part of any conservation strategy, and for modeling the community responses to climate change. DNA metabarcoding methods are revolutionizing such approaches, allowing higher taxonomic resolution than typically possible using microscopy. However, few studies have compared directly the approaches to evaluate the differences in methodology. Here we assess the dietary niches of two genetically diverse populations of Atlantolacerta andreanskyi, a lizard endemic to the Atlas Mountains, Morocco, using DNA metabarcoding of faecal samples, and for one of these we compared the results to two previously published assessments of diets obtained using microscopy of pellets and stomach contents respectively. While results at the Order level were similar, the higher taxonomic resolution obtained in this study provided new insights into the dietary niche of this species. Comparisons between the two populations further highlighted how ecologically distinct these are.