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Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot (Amazona vittata)

  • Microsatellite Letters
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Abstract

The Puerto Rican parrot (Amazona vittata) is one of the most endangered avian species in the world. Its dramatic decline to near extinction in 1975 was thwarted only by the establishment of two captive breeding programs. To date, conservation efforts resulted in a significant population recovery with over 400 living birds either at the two captive breeding sites, or released into the wild. However, despite nearly 40 years of conservation efforts, very few specific tools are available to study genetic diversity of this species. Here we present 18 highly polymorphic microsatellite markers developed using the genome sequence of A. vittata and verified in a population sample. The markers cross-amplify in two sister species from other islands: the Hispaniolan (A. ventralis) and the Cuban (A. leucocephala) parrots. The primer pairs we developed will eventually aid the breeding efforts by providing unique identifiers for individual birds, and in the population studies monitoring recovery of critically endangered A. vittata.

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Acknowledgments

We want to thank the Toyota Foundation of Puerto Rico for financially supporting this work through a grant managed by the Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico. We also want to thank the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for funding research-related travel (grant # F11AP00196). Special thanks to Ingrid Rivera-Pagán, Tanya Martínez, Marisel López, and Israel Rivera for help in processing samples, laboratory work, and helpful advice during preparation of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Mayagüez, PR, 00680, USA

    Y. Afanador, J.-C. Martínez-Cruzado & T. K. Oleksyk

  2. Conservation Program of the Puerto Rican Parrot, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Rio Grande, PR, 00745, USA

    J. Velez-Valentín & R. Valentín de la Rosa

  3. The Recovery Program of the Puerto Rican Parrot at the Río Abajo State Forest, Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales de Puerto Rico, Arecibo, PR, 00613, USA

    J. Velez-Valentín & R. Valentín de la Rosa

  4. Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA

    B. vonHoldt

Authors
  1. Y. Afanador
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  2. J. Velez-Valentín
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  3. R. Valentín de la Rosa
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  4. J.-C. Martínez-Cruzado
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  5. B. vonHoldt
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  6. T. K. Oleksyk
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to T. K. Oleksyk.

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Afanador, Y., Velez-Valentín, J., Valentín de la Rosa, R. et al. Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in the critically endangered Puerto Rican parrot (Amazona vittata). Conservation Genet Resour 6, 885–889 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12686-014-0232-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12686-014-0232-6

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