A PCR-RFLP assay for gender assignment in the three-toed sloths (Bradypus, Pilosa, Bradypodidae).

Authors :: Martinelli AB
DE Moraes-Barros N
Alvarenga CS
Chaves PB
Santos LA
Fagundes V
Source :: Molecular ecology resources [Mol Ecol Resour] 2010 Jul; Vol. 10 (4), pp. 732-4. Date of Electronic Publication: 2009 Dec 30.
Publication Year :: 2010
Abstract: The three-toed sloths (Bradypus) are slow-moving arboreal neotropical mammals. Understanding demographic variables (such as sex ratio) of populations is a key for conservation purposes. Nevertheless, gender assignment of Bradypus is particularly challenging because of the lack of sexual dimorphism in infants and in adults, particularly B. torquatus, the most endangered of the three-toed sloths, in which sex is attributed by visual observation of the reproductively active males. Here, we standardized a method for sexing Bradypus individuals using PCR-RFLP of sex-linked genes ZFX/ZFY. This assay was validated with known-gender animals and proved accurate to assign gender on three Bradypus species.<br /> (© 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.)

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