Abstract
Forty-two unique microsatellite loci were isolated from an unenriched and a tetranucleotide-enriched blue crane (Grus paradisea) genomic library. Fourteen polymorphic loci were characterised in 20 unrelated wild blue crane individuals from the Karoo region, South Africa, and displayed 4–27 alleles with observed heterozygosities ranging between 0.50 and 0.95. All 14 loci were also polymorphic in the grey-crowned crane (Balearica regulorum) and the wattled crane (Grus carunculatus). These markers are aimed at assisting the identification of illegal trade in the blue crane but have wider population and conservation applications for most, if not all, crane species.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Andy Krupa for advice on genotyping. The Wildlife Breeding Resources Centre (South Africa), the South African Crane Working Group, the Cape Parrot Working Group, Hans Cheng, Mark Gibbs, Winston Kaye, Jim Mossman, Solomon Muna, Richard Phillips, Kerry Pillay, David Richardson and Pippa Thomson generously provided blood or DNA samples. The majority of this work was performed at the Sheffield Molecular Genetics Facility supported by the Natural Environment Research Council, UK. The grey-crowned crane and wattled crane genotyping was conducted at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal, South Africa. Funding was provided by a Defra Darwin Initiative Award.
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Meares, K., Dawson, D.A., Horsburgh, G.J. et al. Characterisation of 14 blue crane Grus paradisea (Gruidae, AVES) microsatellite loci for use in detecting illegal trade. Conserv Genet 9, 1363–1367 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-007-9490-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-007-9490-0