The use of genetic markers for parentage analysis in Passer domesticus (house sparrows)

The relationships between 420 Passer domesticus (house sparrow) nestlings from 144 broods and the adults which fed them were determined using genetic markers. The inheritance and independence of six polymorphic enzymes observed with starch gel electrophoresis and the component bands of DNA fingerprint profiles were investigated, and the probabilities of detecting incorrect parental assignments calculated. Allozymes were capable of detecting cuckoldry by males unrelated to the attendant adult in 54 per cent of cases whilst fingerprints could reveal virtually every occurrence. Fingerprinting uncovered some instances of erroneous parental exclusion based on the allo- zyme data, highlighting the problems caused by null alleles and post-translational modification. However, both techniques clearly showed that incorrect paternity as a result of extra-pair copulation (EPC) was the sole cause of multiple genetic incompatibilities, and that the cuckoldry rate varied little over 4 years [11.5 per cent (s.d. 2.3)]. © The Genetical Society of Great Britain.

Duke Scholars

Author Royston Edwin Carter Engineering Graduate and Professional Programs