Polymorphic microsatellite loci in pheasant coucal (Centropus phasianinus)

Abstract

Little is known about the effect of male parental care and behavioural sex-role reversal on the mating system of birds because genetic markers for species with these characteristics are lacking. We developed primers for nine polymorphic microsatellite loci in pheasant coucals (Centropus phasianinus). Eight of the primers were also polymorphic in African black coucals (Centropus grillii). Pheasant coucals are of particular interest in the study of evolutionary and behavioural ecology, because their sex-role reversal and extensive male parental care suggests low levels of extra-pair fertilizations, yet they have large testes indicating sperm competition. © 2005 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.