title: Multiple paternity and sperm storage in captive Hermann's tortoises, Testudo hermanni boettgeri determined from amniotic fluid adhering to the eggshell.
abstract: We identified multiple paternity in 52.9% of the clutches of Hermann's tortoise Testudo hermanni boettgeri using polymorphic microsatellite markers. In addition we demonstrated sperm storage across seasons. DNA was extracted from the amniotic fluid adhering to the eggshell's inner surface, a procedure suitable for easy, non-invasive DNA sampling in conservation and breeding programs. To improve the informative value of monomorphic single tandem repeat (STR) markers we additionally analyzed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variability.
authors.affiliation: Allgemeine Zoologie und Neurobiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, ND 7/27, 44780 Bochum, Germany. Electronic address: Christina.Farke@schildkroetenhilfe-testudo.de.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Farke
authors.affiliation: Labor für Abstammungsbegutachtungen GMBH, Marie-Curie-Str. 1, 53359 Rheinbach, Germany. Electronic address: olek@LFA-gmbh.de.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Olek
authors.affiliation: Humangenetik, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, MA 5/39, 44780 Bochum, Germany. Electronic address: wanda.gerding@rub.de.
authors.forename: W M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Gerding
authors.affiliation: Allgemeine Zoologie und Neurobiologie, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universitätsstr. 150, ND 7/27, 44780 Bochum, Germany. Electronic address: distler@neurobiologie.rub.de.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Distler
mesh_terms: D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D052586:Mating Preference, Animal; D018895:Microsatellite Repeats; D010063:Ovum / Q000737:chemistry; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D020080:Tandem Repeat Sequences; D014426:Turtles / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: Conservation; Eggshell; Multiple paternity; Sperm storage; Testudo hermanni boettgeri; Tortoise