Individual identification of the Yangtze finless porpoises Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis inhabiting the Tian-e-Zhou Natural Reserve based on microsatellite fingerprints

摘要

The technique of individual identification by DNA fingerprinting is a very important method in conservation genetics. To identify each Yangtze finless porpoise Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis inhabiting the Tian-e-Zhou Natural Reserve for further conservation genetics research and effective population management, DNA fingerprinting profiles were constructed for this population using four microsatellite loci. The profiles were used successfully to identify individuals recaptured in the reserve during different times. This study indicates that DNA fingerprint based on microsatellite markers is a reliable method for individual identification of the finless porpoise [ A cta Zoologica Sinica 51(1): 142 - 148, 2005].