Isolation and characterization of 18 microsatellites in the Peking duck ( Anas platyrhynchos) and their application in other waterfowl species.

We have isolated and characterized 18 microsatellite loci in the Peking duck ( Anas platyrhynchos). The average number of alleles per locus was 3.5, ranging from one to six in domestic Peking ducks ( n = 40). All of the markers were polymorphic in a sample of five mallards ( A. platyrhynchos; two to eight alleles). Seventeen of the 18 markers amplified in Muscovy ducks ( Cairina moschata) with 11 being polymorphic in our sample ( n = 14). Amplification of the markers in different species comprising the subfamilies Anatinae and Anserinae indicates their potential value for population genetic applications in a wide range of waterfowl species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]