Subset of SNPs for parental identification in European bison Lowland-Białowieża line (Bison bonasus bonasus)

Parentage testing and individual identification are essential for protection and efficient management of animal populations. Panels of highly polymorphic SNP markers have recently become available in microarrays addressed to domestic animals. Such SNPs may also be useful in closely-related species living in the wild. The European bison ( Bison bonasus ), as an extremely inbred extinct species, requires individual identification to sustain maximum genetic diversity. The aim of the work was to prepare a panel of highly polymorphic SNPs for parental and individual identification for the wisent. 163 bison were genotyped on Illumina BovineHD microarray. Data filtration resulted in the panel of 100 highly polymorphic, unlinked SNPs giving the probability of parentage exclusion equal to 3.90 × 10 −6 for one and 3.55 × 10 −14 for two known parents and a probability of identity equal to 1.14 × 10 −40 . The probabilities obtained in this study are sufficient for effective management of the genetic diversity of the Lowland-Białowieża line of the European bison.