Start Date
2025 -
Supporting Organization
TÜBİTAK 2244 122C346
Project Status
continues
Seasonal Diet Analysis and Species Identification from Owl Pellets in the Euphrates River Bank Ecosystem: An eDNA Metabarcoding Approach
Project Manager
Project Coordinator
Project Team
Ayşegül Er Gökçe, Seher Ayça Deniz, Beril Tezel, Tutku Taşğın, Arzu İlayda Sümer, Alaz Uslu, Emre Keskin
Partners / Collaborations
This project aims to both molecularly identify the owl species and analyze its feeding habits in different seasons, using owl pellets found at the entrance of a cave on the banks of the Euphrates River.
Pellet samples will be collected regularly in four different seasons, and DNA isolated from these samples will be analyzed to both identify the owl species and reveal the diversity of its prey species. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology will be used with universal primers to make identifications at both the prey and predator species level. This approach will reveal the seasonal dietary changes of owls, thus providing scientific data on the ecological requirements of the species and the temporal dynamics of prey pressure. The study will provide strategic information for both the conservation of the species and the sustainability of natural cave ecosystems along the Euphrates River.
