Null alleles of microsatellites for Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum.

The article discusses a study to assess the occurrence of null alleles and test markers reliability. It notes that while the presence of microsatellite null alleles was reported for the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum, this has not been checked by specific tests. The results suggest that allele frequency corrections allow the evaluation of population differential levels but do not lead to a reliable assignment of individuals to populations.