DNA-FINGERPRINTING AND THE PROBLEMS OF PATERNITY DETERMINATION IN AN INBRED CAPTIVE POPULATION OF GUINEA BABOONS (PAPIO-HAMADRYAS-PAPIO)

Multilocus DNA fingerprinting was carried out on 65 individuals from a captive colony of guinea baboons (Papio hamadryas papio) at Brookfiel d Zoo, in order to determine the allocation of reproductive success am ong 7 active males. DNA fingerprinting was found to reveal very low le vels of genetic variability in the study population, rendering discrim ination of different levels of relatedness, and hence paternity, impos sible. A method was therefore developed for emphasizing the region of the fingerprint pattern which revealed the greatest level of band vari ability, and the effect of this experimental modification on band shar ing statistics was tested. Band sharing coefficients among unrelated i ndividuals were significantly lower using the modified system, which w as then applied to paternity testing in the whole population. However even when using the modified system, of the 33 offspring analyzed only 4 could be assigned solely to 1 male, 14 offspring were assigned to 1 of 2 males, 7 offspring had 3 potential fathers, and the remainder ha d 4 or more possible fathers. The implications of the limitations of t hese data for behavioural studies and genetic management of captive po pulations are discussed.