Museum specimens: An overlooked and valuable material for conservation genetics

Abstract

Museum specimens include genetic information from when they were collected. This historical information, which is very difficult to ascertain from samples collected currently, could be a valuable material for use in conservation genetics. However, the genetic analysis of museum specimens is technically difficult because of DNA fragmentation and the deamination of cytosine to uracil. In recent years, various methods have been developed for the genetic analysis of museum specimens, such as data analysis techniques including next-generation sequencing. The development of approaches that extract historical genetic information from museum specimens is expected to provide a new perspective on conservation genetics. This review focuses on the availability of museum specimens as genetic resources for conservation genetics. Some case studies are introduced, and perspectives on the future utility of conservation genetic studies using museum specimens are discussed. Moreover, recommended genetic analysis methods and important points for the usage of museum specimens are presented. This review provides a strong case for increasing the usage of museum specimens in conservation genetics studies in the future.