Isolation and characterization of novel tetranucleotide microsatellite DNA markers for the spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum

Fifteen tetranucleotide microsatellite loci were identified and characterized for spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) collected from three vernal pools in the southeastern USA. These markers revealed a high degree of genetic diversity (7-32 alleles per locus), heterozygosity (31.6-86.3%) and allelic heterogeneity (91% of comparisons were statistically significant). Considerable differentiation among populations was observed as genetic distances (chord) ranged between 0.50 and 0.65, and all F-ST values (0.08-0.14) were statistically significant. Moreover, genotypic assignment tests correctly classified all individuals to their respective collection. These markers should prove useful for investigating fine-scale population structure and mating system.