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Culver, M.; Stephens, J.C.; Murphy, K.; Laundr‚, J.; Sweanor, L.; Logan, K.; Roelke-Parker, M.; Hornocker, M.; O'Brien, S.J.; Menotti-Raymond, M.
Use of Microsatellite Loci to Examine Kinship Levels in Free-Ranging North American Puma (_Puma concolor_) Populations
1998 Manuscript
The practical application of microsatellite loci for kinship was estimated among three free-ranging North American puma populations. Ten unlinked dinucleotide repeat microsatellite loci were used to obtain estimates of relatedness among individuals. Estimated relatedness values (rxy) were determined for know degrees of relatedness ( full-siblings, cousins, unrelated). Our findings showed that relatedness determination of unknown individuals could be accomplished with an accuracy rate of about 70%. This moderate accuracy rate is a result of the lower than expected heterozygosity levels for these populations, given the heterozygosity levels observed in pumas throughout their range. The low heterozygosity translated into more overlap of rxy values between relatedness categories (full-sibs, half-sibs, cousins and unrelateds), resulting in our moderate accuracy rates.
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