MOLECULAR SEXING OF THE COMMUNALLY BREEDING PUKEKO - AN IMPORTANT ECOLOGICAL TOOL

A central biological parameter in the study of any animal population i s the accurate assignment of sex. Indeed any ecological study of a pop ulation requires information on sex composition in relation to such bi ological factors as behaviour, movement, mortality and birth rate. How ever, our ability to assign the sex of adults of many avian species is poor and the sexing of young is universally difficult. We report here the successful application of a molecular technique for the assignmen t of sex in the communally breeding pukeko or purple swamphen (Porphyr io porphyrio melanotus). W- and Z-linked chromosome fragments in diges ted genomic DNA of pukeko were detected with the DNA probe pMg1. We co nsequently show that this species breeds in polyandrous, polygynous an d polygynandrous groups. Finally we discuss why recent molecular metho ds represent important new tools in ecology.