Characterization of the genetic diversity and population structure of the manakin genus Antilophia through the development and analysis of microsatellite markers

The two species of the genus Antilophia , Antilophia bokermanni and Antilophia galeata , are found in environments that are undergoing extensive modification, which may be provoking the loss of their genetic diversity. Nine polymorphic microsatellite loci were characterized and analyzed in each of these species. The distribution of allele frequencies revealed two clusters that reflected the distinct genetic profile of each species. Observed levels of heterozygosity were low for each species, with the lowest allelic diversity found in the critically endangered A. bokermanni . The set of loci described here, in contrast with other genetic markers that have been analyzed previously, effectively diagnosed the genetic diversity of different populations of the two species.