Cross-amplification of polymorphic microsatellites reveals extra-pair paternity and brood parasitism in Sturnus vulgaris

Adeline Loyau (1) , B. Moureau (2) , Murielle Richard (1) , P. Christe (2) , P. Heeb (2, 3) , Gabriele Sorci (1)

1 PE - Parasitologie évolutive
2 Département d'Ecologie et d'Evolution
3 EDB - Evolution et Diversité Biologique

We tested the cross-amplification of 37 microsatellites in a population of starlings (Sturnus vulgaris). Twenty-three of them amplified and five exhibited a large number of alleles per locus and high heterozygosity (on average: 14.6 alleles/locus and HE = 0.704). We assessed the occurrence of extra-pair paternity (EPP) and intraspecific brood parasitism (IBP) in this population. The EPP rate was 16% to 18% offspring from 43% to 45% of nests. IBP was very variable between two successive years (14% to 27% chicks from 25% to 64% of clutches). These five polymorphic markers will be of potential use in studies of genetic diversity, population structure and reproductive strategy of this species

Mots clés: [brood parasitism]; [EPP]; [microsatellites]; [Sturnus vulgaris]

Domaines: Microbiologie et Parasitologie

Adeline Loyau, B. Moureau, Murielle Richard, P. Christe, P. Heeb, et al.. Cross-amplification of polymorphic microsatellites reveals extra-pair paternity and brood parasitism in Sturnus vulgaris. Molecular Ecology Notes, 2005, 5, pp.135. ⟨10.1111/j.1471-8286.2005.00868.x⟩. ⟨hal-00087599⟩