Mitochondrial phylogenetics of UK eurytomids

The aim of this study was to investigate the taxonomic limits of species within four Eurytomid genera, namely Euratoma lliger, Tetramesa Walker, Ahtola Claridge and Sycophila (Walker). In order to further clarify the taxonomic status of the genera, including Tetramesa, Eurtoma, Ahtola and Sycophila, mitochondria1 DNA sequence analysis revealed differentiation between the above Eurytomid genera. With the sequence data, the monophyletic status of three of these genera is well supported by all methods of phylogenetic reconstruction. Only Tetramesa, which is by far the most specious taxon studied here, seems polyphyletic, but even in this case, there are certain relationships within the group that are interesting from both a morphological and host preference point of view. For example, T. periolata (Walker) and T. airae (von Schlechtendal), which are both herbivores of the grass, Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) (Beauv.) group together and two clusters contained all species that use Elymus repens (L.), i.e., T. linearis (Walker), T. hyalipenis (Walker) and T. cornuta (Walker). Another result of this analysis supports the validity of Ahtola as a separate genus, which was prcviously uncertain

Determinación de parentesco en alpacas (Vicugna pacos) por medio del análisis de ADN microsatélite

Ten polymorphic microsatellites for alpacas and llamas were used to evaluate paternity in 47 alpacas (18 crias, 18 mothers and 11 fathers) registered at IVITA-Maranganí Research Station, Canchis Province (Cusco-Peru). Analysis was carried out using two methodologies: Automatic Sequencer (ABI 377 DNA sequencers®) and silver staining techniques. Microsatellites were amplified in three multiple and ten single PCR reactions. The number of alleles varied between 4 and 20. The allelic frequencies and the exclusion probability were calculated using Cervus 2.0. All loci, except for two, were within the range published elsewhere. The accumulated exclusion probability for the ten loci was 0.9999. For each multiplex reaction the accumulated exclusion probability was more than 0.90. Both methodologies yielded the same results. The results confirmed paternity in 18 cases of parent-cria pairs, however in 22% of cases (n=4) were identified alternative parents than those indicated in farm record