Widely Applicable PCR Markers for Sex Identification in Birds

To aid in avian sex determination if birds are not sexually dimorphic and/or they are sexually immature, several molecular assays involving the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have been developed. To test in a variety of domestic and wild avian species applicability of five sexing assays: previously described four assays based on nucleotide sequence differences between the Z and W copy of the chicken chromodomain-helicase-DNA-binding protein gene (CHD1Z and CHD1W), and a new sexing marker using the ubiquitin associated protein 2 (UBAP2) gene sequence. At least one molecular sexing marker was successful in 84 out of 88 examined species across 13 avian orders. These assays may be useful in breeding management of domestic and wild birds as well as in studies of avian ecology, population genetics, embryology and transgenesis.