AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Molecular Genetic (RAPD) Analysis of Breeding Magpie Geese

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1996
Authors:Horn, PL, J. Rafalski, A, WHITEHEAD, PETERJ
Journal:The Auk
Volume:113
Issue:3
Date Published:1996
ISBN Number:00048038
Keywords:Corvidae, Mohoua, Mohoua albicilla, Pica, Pica pica
Abstract:Magpie Geese (Anseranus semipalmata) typically form nesting trios consisting of two females and one male, an uncommon breeding arrangement for waterfowl. To study aspects of their reproductive biology, 20 reproductively active adults representing seven reproductive groupings (broods) were scored for 106 polymorphic primer-specific RAPD bands. Genetic distances between all possible adult pairs were calculated, and these values were analyzed using the Mantel test. In the pairwise comparison of genetic distances, those between males were significantly less than those for other adult combinations (P < 0.05). Using the same analytical approach, we found that females that shared a nest were more like one another than were females that did not share a nest (P < 0.05). We suggest that a plausible hypothesis to account for the relative genetic homogeneity of the male population is that males seeking to enter the breeding population do so at their natal site. The females they recruit are more closely related to one another than are females in general.
URL:http://www.jstor.org/stable/4088975
Short Title:The Auk
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