First set of microsatellite markers for genetic characterization of the Eurasian beaver () based on tissue and hair samples

Christiane Frosch (1) , Peter Haase (1, 2) , Carsten Nowak (1, 2)

1 Department of Limnology and Conservation
2 SBiK-F - Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre

Noninvasive genetic techniques have become indispensible tools in wildlife conservation and management. Here, we report the development of the first set of microsatellite markers for the Eurasian beaver (). All 15 loci show considerable variation within the sampled region in southwestern Germany, with number of alleles ranging from two to six alleles per locus. A comparison between tissue and hair samples revealed that amplification success was only slightly lower for hair samples, making their use in noninvasive monitoring feasible. Despite some evidence for false alleles and allelic dropout, 77% of all loci were genotyped successfully among all hair samples and loci tested. The developed markers will be used for subspecies differentiation and reconstruction of dispersal routes, following reintroductions in Central Europe.

Mots clés: Microsatellites; Noninvasive sampling; Wildlife genetics; Eurasian beaver

Christiane Frosch, Peter Haase, Carsten Nowak. First set of microsatellite markers for genetic characterization of the Eurasian beaver () based on tissue and hair samples. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 2010, pp.679-682. ⟨10.1007/s10344-010-0486-6⟩. ⟨hal-00655427⟩