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ABSTRACT Molecular tools are increasingly being used to survey the presence of biodiversity and their interactions within ecosystems. Indirect methods, like environmental DNA (eDNA) and invertebrate‐derived DNA (iDNA), are dependent on sequence databases with accurate and sufficient taxonomic representation. These methods are increasingly being used in regions and habitats where direct detection or observations can be difficult for a variety of reasons. Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot with a high proportion of endemic species, many of which are threatened or endangered. Here we describe a new resource, VoronaGasyCodes, a curated database of newly published genetic sequences from Malagasy birds. Our database is currently populated with six mitochondrial genes or DNA barcodes for 142 species including 70% of the birds endemic to the island and will be periodically updated as new data become available. We demonstrate the utility of our database with an iDNA study of leech blood meals where we successfully identified 77% of the hosts to species. These types of resources for characterising biodiversity are critical for insights into species distribution, discovery of new taxa, novel ecological connections and advancing conservation and restoration measures. 

Abstract Deforestation, exploitation, and other drivers of biodiversity loss in Madagascar leave its highly endangered and predominantly endemic wildlife at risk of extinction. Decreasing biodiversity threatens to compromise ecosystem functions and vital services provided to people. New, economical, and diverse methods of biodiversity monitoring can help to establish reliable baseline and long‐term records of species richness. Metabarcoding with invertebrate‐derived DNA (iDNA) has emerged as a promising new biosurveillance tool. An unexpected wet forest fragment tucked in the dry cliffs of Madagascar's southcentral plateau, the Ivohibory Protected Area (IPA), hosts a unique mosaic of species diversity, featuring both dry and wet forest species. Recently elevated to protected status, the IPA has been surveyed for flora and fauna with a range of inventory methods over the course of three years and six expeditions (2016, 2017, & 2019). We collected 1451 leeches over 12 days from the IPA to supplement known species richness and to compare results against current records. With iDNA, we pooled tissues, isolated, and amplified bloodmeal DNA with five sets of primers. We detected 20 species of which four are species of frogs previously undetected and three of which are previously unknown to exist in this region. iDNA surveys have the capacity to provide complementary data to traditional surveying methods like camera traps, line transects, and bioacoustic methods. 

Madagascar, an island renowned for its rich biodiversity, is home to an impressive variety of bird species. The island’s Quaternary subfossil sites have yielded the remains of birds that bear testimony to an even richer avifauna during the recent past (Figure 1). These species are also excellent indicators of past habitats, due to habitat-specific adaptations (Behrensmeyer et al., 2003; Carrera et al., 2021). We studied the subfossil avifauna from Vintany Cave at Tsimanampesotse, SW Madagascar, to reconstruct the habitats of this region prior to human population expansion. The bird fossils were found in deposits alongside remains of other vertebrate species including large-bodied frugivorous lemurs, browsing elephant birds, and carnivorans such as Fossa fossana and Cryptoprocta spelea, the latter an extinct euplerid that preyed on large- bodied lemurs such as Pachylemur and Megaladapis. Radiocarbon dates establish an age range between 2000 and 3000 yr BP. 

We used isotopic and genomic data to explore the ecological and social context of cultural practices associated with the mummification of crocodiles in ancient Egypt. Ancient DNA was recovered from four mummified crocodile hatchlings held in the collections of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University. Previous genetic analyses of crocodile mummies have indicated that most mummies represent the newly resurrected taxon, Crocodylus suchus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1807. However, mitogenomic data for the Yale Peabody Museum mum- mies indicates that these specimens represent the first genomically authenticated represen- tatives of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus Laurenti, 1768) in museum collections. We explore these findings within the broader context of modern and historical distributions of both crocodile species and the potential implications for our understanding of funerary practices involving crocodiles in ancient Egypt.