We describe a method and new primers to amplify three small DNA fragments
of the cytochrome b region of the mitochondrial DNA that are suitable for marsupial species identification from degraded sources, such as wildlife
seizures. They were designed as consensus sequences from a comparison of 21 marsupial species. The primers also contained
sequences intended specifically not to amplify human DNA, thereby reducing the likelihood of amplifying contaminants. Examples
of the utility of these primers are given using a range of conditions that may be applied using such an approach, including
(1) field-collected sub-fossil bones, (2) an example of museum mis-identification from a specimen collected in 1930 and (3)
a skull collected from Bernier Island, in the harsh mid-west of Western Aust…