摘要：Six museum kiwi (Apteryx spp.) specimens of unknown or uncertain provenance were assigned to species using ancient DNA methods in conjunction with a reference database of modern and ancient kiwi DNA sequences. Four of the five species of kiwi exhibit a substantial overlap in bone morphology but can be identified with DNA sequences. The origin of one specimen, an articulated kiwi skeleton, was determined to be Stewart Island, a region that is currently poorly represented in museum collections. This study demonstrates that DNA analyses can add value to museum collections by determining species and provenance of specimens.
关键词：kiwi; Apteryx ; ancient DNA; museum collections; species identification; New Zealand
