Isolation and characterization of 16 microsatellite loci in the Great Tit Parus major

Six dinucleotide, three trinucleotide and seven tetranucleotide microsatellite loci developed for the great tit Parus major are presented. Thirty individual birds were screened at each locus. Loci were polymorphic (four to 19 alleles per locus). These markers provide a system to study paternity, genetic diversity in natural populations, gene flow, dispersal and inbreeding.