Recent reports suggest that populations of wild crocodiles in Madagascar are in serious decline with human-crocodile-conflict and habitat loss identified as the primary factors. This PhD will undertake a multidisciplinary approach, including micro-satellite and stable isotope analysis, to assess the population and genetic structure of crocodile populations within Madagascar and their ecology. Tissue samples from existing populations will also be supplemented with archival material to determine changes in genetic structure over time. Focused research on the crocodile population in the Mahamavo wetlands will provide a case study whereby genetic structure analysis, complimented with an existing multi-year survey dataset, can be used to determine how crocodile populations in Madagascar may respond to increasing anthropogenic pressures.
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