A comparison of next-generation sequencing with clone sequencing in the diet analysis of Asian great bustard

Abstract

Comparative studies of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and clone sequencing in diet analysis have not been conducted. This study compares the performance of NGS and clone sequencing to analyze the diet of Asian great bustard (Otis tarda dybowskii). Identification of known taxa using NGS method was significantly greater than by clone method (t = 8.12, df = 14, p < 0.01), which has highlighted the higher sensitivity of the NGS approach. The proportion of occurrence for NGS method and clone method was significantly correlated (r = 0.63, p = 0.01), suggesting the prey taxa present at low frequency could not be identified by clone method. The cost and time of NGS method was also low compared with the clone method. We recommend the NGS opens up for new possibilities in the diet study, and has wide applicability to other species whose faeces can be collected easily and non-invasively in the field.