The use of cross-species testing of microsatellite markers and sibship analysis in ex situ population management

Breeding programs that are aimed for ex situ conservation of endangered species should assure minimal inbreeding among individuals in order to maintain the genetic variation within captive populations. In the absence of pedigree information, e.g. in cases of confiscated individuals, rapid, easily applicable and cost-efficient methods are needed for the establishment of optimal breeding protocols. The present paper reports the cross-species testing of already published microsatellite markers from other closely related species and their use in two critically endangered Neotropical parrots, Amazona collaria and Amazona agilis. The aim was to identify full sibling groups among individuals that had been confiscated due to illegal trade and were kept at the Vienna Zoo. Of the eight tested loci only one failed to amplify in both of the two species, while all other loci produced consistent products. All of the seven successfully amplifying loci proved to be polymorphic in A. collaria, while one locus was monomorphic in A. agilis. The loci yielded a mean numbers of alleles per locus of 7.43 (range 4–14) and 8.71 (range 1–14), and a mean expected heterozygosity of 0.744 and 0.683, respectively. The identification of several full sibling groups among birds in both species indicates that the poachers had taken whole nests. This finding emphasizes that ex situ management programs have to implement accurate relatedness or pedigree information in their breeding designs, particularly if confiscated, illegally traded eggs are involved.