title: Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci for the northern flicker (Colaptes auratus; Aves).
abstract: To investigate the mating system of northern flickers (Colaptes auratus), we developed primers for 14 microsatellite loci and screened them in 68 unrelated adults and their offspring. All markers were highly polymorphic with 9 to +36 alleles per locus. One marker was Z-chromosome linked; one marker exceeded the size standard range and could not be analysed further. We checked the other 12 markers for Mendelian inheritance in 36 broods for which the social parents were known. Seven markers showed evidence for the presence of null alleles, and three of those showed significant deviation from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Markers were generally unlinked.
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Postfach 1564, D-82305 Starnberg (Seewiesen), Germany University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada S7N 5E2.
authors.forename: Sylvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wiebe
authors.forename: Bart
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kempenaers