Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci from the chinstrap penguin, Pygoscelis antarctica

Abstract

Sixteen polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for the chinstrap penguin, Pygoscelis antarctica. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to nine. The observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.136 to 0.864 and from 0.208 to 0.831, respectively. Cross-species amplification was successful in other penguin species, including Pygoscelis papua, Pygoscelis adelie, and Eudyptes chrysolophus. The microsatellite markers developed in this study can be used in future conservation studies.