Journal
SPRINGERPLUS
Volume 1, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING AG
DOI: 10.1186/2193-1801-1-62
Keywords
Molecular sex identification; Gyps vulture; Cinereous vulture; Vulture conservation; Captive breeding
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Funding
- UK based organization Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB)
- UK based organization Darwin Initiative for the survival of species
- UK based organization Zoological Society of London
- UK based organization National Birds of Prey Trust
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During the last two decades populations of three resident species of Gyps vulture have declined dramatically and are now threatened with extinction in South Asia. Sex identification of vultures is of key importance for the purpose of conservation breeding as it is desirable to have an equal sex ratio in these monogamous species which are housed together in large colony aviaries. Because vultures are monomorphic, with no differences in external morphology or plumage colour between the sexes, other methods are required for sex identification. Molecular methods for sex identification in birds rely on allelic length or nucleotide sequence discrimination of the chromohelicase-DNA binding (CHD) gene located on male and female chromosomes ZZ and ZW, respectively. We characterized the partial sequences of CHD alleles from Gyps indicus, Gyps bengalensis, Gyps himalayensis and Aegypius monachus and analysed the applicability of five molecular methods of sex identification of 46 individual vultures including 26 known-sex G. bengalensis and G. indicus. The results revealed that W-specific PCR in combination with ZW-common PCR is a quick, accurate and simple method, and is ideal for sex identification of vultures. The method is also suitable to augment ecological studies for identifying sex of these endangered birds during necropsy examinations especially when gonads are not apparent, possibly due to regression during non-breeding seasons.
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