Microsatellite loci for paternity assessment in the black swan (Cygnus atratus: Aves)

Abstract

Seven polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized from the black swan Cygnus atratus Latham, using nonradioactive PCR-based techniques to screen an enriched genomic library. These loci were highly variable (mean HE = 0.75, mean number of alleles = 9.1), and showed no evidence of linkage disequilibrium or null alleles. This locus set is suitable for detecting extra-pair copulations (combined exclusion probability = 0.999) and for other population genetic applications.