Conservation genetics and biogeography of the endangered mountain pygmy-possum, Burramys parvus.

Mr Paul Mitrovski, PhD Candidate

(Funded via Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE), Holsworth Wildlife Research Fund, ANZ Charitable Trust, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service)

The Mountain pygmy-possum, Burramys parvus, is Australia's only hibernating marsupial. Restricted to the winter snowline of the Australian Alps and limited by available habitat (<10km2), anthropogenic activity and introduced predators, they number approximately 2,000 individuals in the wild and are classified as an endangered species. Population structure, breeding system and gene flow are crucial for the development of effective conservation strategies, but have not been investigated in B. parvus. Here we have isolated polymorphic microsatellite markers from a partial genomic library of B. parvus to investigate these parameters in the alpine region of Australia.

Preliminary results suggest that there are high levels of genetic variation within and between the three remaining populations of B. parvus (Mt. Buller, Bogong High Plains and the Kosciuszko plateau). The split between these three populations appears to have occurred much earlier than previously believed from fossil and palaeoclimatic evidence. Further work is required to accurately determine when these populations became isolated, as well as, examining their mating system, metapopulation structure and dispersal patterns.