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The Journal of Heredity 1992:83(5):356-360
© 1992 The American Genetic Association 83:356-360

research-article

Use of DNA Fingerprinting to Determine Parentage in Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus)

L. Marinelli, F. Messier, and Y. Plante

Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 0W0
The Bovine Typing Laboratory, Saskatchewan Research Council Saskatoon, Canada

Abstract

The detection of high levels of genetic variability by DNA fingerprinting probes has allowed researchers to accurately assess relatedness. Multiple-mating strategies are characteristic of the mating systems of small mammals. As such, techniques that provide an accurate indication of how individuals are related genetically is of great importance to assess the mating system of a species. In this study, we applied the DNA fingerprinting technique to captive and wild muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) to determine its usefulness for parentage analysis in wild populations. We found that DNA digested with the restriction enzyme Hae III and probed with Jeffreys's minisatellite 33.15 identified a large amount of polymorphism in both groups of muskrats. The DNA fingerprinting technique correctly assessed parentage within the captive group. In the wild population, paternity was assigned between two adult males based on diagnostic fragments and similarity of banding patterns. The likelihood that paternity could be misassigned to a full sibling was high in this free-ranging population. However, because natal dispersal in muskrats is male biased, it is unlikely that two brothers would associate with the same female.


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