GENETIC METHODS IMPROVE ACCURACY OF GENDER DETERMINATION IN BEAVERS

• Published in: Journal of mammalogy Vol. 85; no. 6; pp. 1145 - 1148
• Main Authors: Williams, Christen Lenney, Breck, Stewart W., Baker, Bruce W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Provo, UT American Society of Mammalogists 01.12.2004; Brigham Young University, Department of Zoology; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Accuracy; AGS; Anal glands; Animal behavior; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Aquatic mammals; beaver; Beavers; Biological and medical sciences; Castor canadensis; Dinosaurs; DNA; FEATURE ARTICLES; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; gender determination; Gender identity; General aspects. Techniques; Genetic testing; Mammalogy; Mammals; Methods and techniques (sampling, tagging, trapping, modelling...); National parks; Secretion; Sexes; Tissue samples; Wildlife management; Zfx; Zfy; United States; North America; America; Laboratory study; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Methodology; Investigation method; Zinc finger structure; DNA; Rodentia; Sex; Castor canadensis; Developmental stage; Age
• ISSN: 0022-2372; 1545-1542
• DOI: 10.1644/BPR-104.1

Gender identification of sexually monomorphic mammals can be difficult. We used analysis of zinc-finger protein (Zfx and Zfy) DNA regions to determine gender of 96 beavers (Castor canadensis) from 3 areas and used these results to verify gender determined in the field. Gender was correctly determined for 86 (89.6%) beavers. Incorrect assignments were not attributed to errors in any one age or sex class. Although methods that can be used in the field (such as morphological methods) can provide reasonably accurate gender assignments in beavers, the genetic method might be preferred in certain situations.