title: Estimation of the number of full sibling families at an oviposition site using RAPD-PCR markers: applications to the mosquito Aedes aegypti.
abstract: There are many species in which groups of individuals encountered in the field are known to consist of mixtures of full-sibling families. We describe a statistical technique, based on the use of random amplified polymorphic DNA-polymerase chain reaction (RAPD-PCR) markers, that allows for the estimation of the number of families contained in these groups. We test the technique on full-sibling families of the mosquito Aedes aegypti, a species that distributes its eggs among several locations. Mixtures of 10 families with 15 individuals per family were analyzed using 40 RAPD-PCR loci amplified by 5 primers. Our analysis accurately estimated the number of families. The technique was accurate when the number of families was small or when family sizes were small and variable.
authors.affiliation: Arthropod-borne and Infectious Diseases Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Colorado State University, 80523, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Apostol
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reiter
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Beaty