Isolation and characterization of 18 microsatellites in the Peking duck (Anas platyrhynchos) and their application in other waterfowl species

We have isolated and characterized 18 microsatellite loci in the Peking duck ( Anas platyrhynchos ). The average number of alleles per locus was 3.5, ranging from one to six in domestic Peking ducks ( n = 40). All of the markers were polymorphic in a sample of five mallards ( A. platyrhynchos ; two to eight alleles). Seventeen of the 18 markers amplified in Muscovy ducks ( Cairina moschata ) with 11 being polymorphic in our sample ( n = 14). Amplification of the markers in different species comprising the subfamilies Anatinae and Anserinae indicates their potential value for population genetic applications in a wide range of waterfowl species.