Melissa Gunn, Dave Coltman, Jon Slate, Katie Hartnup, Andrew Leviston

Microsatellites Panel 1Panel 2 Size (bp)

Microsatellites 19 polymorphic m’sats working ~10 alleles per locus 200 extra clones available ~460 individuals genotyped (tissue) –2003/2004 Sulphur, Kloo, Agnes all extracted 80% of loci scored Robot re-calibrated, hair extraction kit ready to go –~40 days to extract 2500 hairs –All hair samples catalogued –PCR may need re-optimising for hair samples

Parentage Assignment Cervus V.2 Currently assigning 58% sires known mother genotyped (95% confidence) –Assigning 54% sires no mother genotyped –More sires assigned if all males included Chase males don’t seem to get all paternities

Assigned Parent Output

Papers Primer note – “Microsatellites for Tamiasciurus hudsonicus and their cross-utility in other rodents”

Papers & Ideas Heritability of plasticity of birthdate –Estimate including maternal effect 0.89±0.6/4.9 (av) –Plasticity measured as birthdate/log cone previous year –Based on 156 mothers with multiple births –Later analyses will include probable fathers –Probable covariates incl. juv. growth rate, weight at birth, number of maternal breeding events Population structure & migration – observed migrations vs. genetic effects Productivity vs. genetic diversity –Agnes vs. Kloo? Between-individuals?)

Other Results & Ideas NeEstimator - Effective pop. size = ~4.6/56/109 (c.f 456 individuals used for test) –How large an Ne is required to maintain evolvability ? –Compare with Ne from previous years? –Depends on good hair genotyping Is selection still favouring plastic females? More tissue –mainly new juv’s –Some adults still need sampling Comparison with island populations (Ne, birthdate, etc)?

Acknowledgements Thanks for access to the database, all squirrel sample collectors, and providers of other DNA samples and primers: Roland Ashford, Chris Faulkes, Chris Barnard, Marie Hale, Amy Plowman, Deborah Dawson, Terry Burke, Pippa Thomson, Corey Davis