Statistical approaches to paternity analysis in natural populations and applications to the North Atlantic humpback whale

Citation
R. Nielsen et al., Statistical approaches to paternity analysis in natural populations and applications to the North Atlantic humpback whale, GENETICS, 157(4), 2001, pp. 1673-1682
Citations number
29
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Biology,"Molecular Biology & Genetics
Journal title
GENETICS
ISSN journal
0016-6731 → ACNP
Volume
157
Issue
4
Year of publication
2001
Pages
1673 - 1682
Database
ISI
SICI code
0016-6731(200104)157:4<1673:SATPAI>2.0.ZU;2-N
Abstract
We present a new method for paternity analysis in natural populations that is based on genotypic data that can take the sampling fi action of putative parents into account. The method allows paternity assignment to be perform ed in a decision theoretic framework. Simulations at e performed to evaluat e the utility and robustness of the method and to assess how many loci are necessary for reliable paternity: inference. In addition we present a metho d for testing hypotheses regarding relative reproductive success of differe nt ecologically or behaviorally defined groups as well as a new method for estimating the current population size of males From genotypic data. This m ethod is an extension of the Fractional paternity method to the case where only a proportion of all putative fathers hav e been sampled. It can also b e applied to provide abundance estimates of the number of breeding males fr om genetic data. Throughout, the methods were applied to genotypic data col lected from North Atlantic humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) to test if the males that appear dominant during the mating season have a higher r eproductive success than the subdominant males.