Male-biased mutation rates and the overestimation of extrapair paternity: problem, solution, and illustration using thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia, Alcidae)

The Journal of Heredity
G IbarguchiV L Friesen

Abstract

The widespread utility of hypervariable loci in genetic studies derives from the high mutation rate, and thus the high polymorphism, of these loci. Recent evidence suggests that mutation rates can be extremely high and may be male biased (occurring in the male germ-line). These two factors combined may result in erroneous overestimates of extrapair paternity, since legitimate offspring with novel alleles will have more mismatches with respect to the biological father than the biological mother. As mutations are male driven, increasing the number of hypervariable loci screened may simply increase the number of mismatches between fathers and their legitimate offspring. Here we describe a simple statistic, the probability of resemblance (PR), to distinguish between mismatches due to parental misassignment versus mutation in either sex or null alleles. We apply this method to parentage data on thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia), and demonstrate that, without considering either mutations or male-biased mutation rates, cases of extrapair paternity (7% in this study) would be grossly overestimated (14.5%-22%). The probability of resemblance can be utilized in parentage studies of any sexually reproducing species when allele or haplotyp...Continue Reading

Citations

Feb 14, 2006·Journal of Molecular Evolution·Sofia BerlinHans Ellegren
Dec 1, 2006·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Hans Ellegren
Apr 12, 2007·Genome Génome / Conseil National De Recherches Canada·Gabriela IbarguchiStephen C Lougheed
Nov 15, 2007·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Anthony M NsubugaLinda Vigilant

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