Development and characterization of microsatellite loci from the Great White Pelican (Pelecanus onocrotalus) and widespread application to other members of the Pelecanidae

We describe the isolation of 10 microsatellite loci from the Great White Pelican using an enrichment protocol. All loci were variable with the number of alleles ranging from 2 to 19, and observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.261 to 0.913. Two loci were out of Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium, although in each case this was restricted to one of the two populations screened. None of the loci were linked. Eight to 10 loci PCR-amplified in three related species: Brown, American White and Pink-backed Pelicans. These loci should prove to be widely applicable to studies of phylogeography and demography in pelicans globally.