Single parentage dataset for Chinook salmon

ObjectiveParentage analysis is a routine methodology in fisheries
research, but study systems exist where it is impractical to sample both
parents. The ability to reliably assign offspring to a single parent is
beneficial in these situations. We apply single-parentage assignments to a
naturally spawning population of Chinook Salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha
to quantify production of anadromous returns by unsampled precocial males.
Methods We use an approach that addresses two important aspects of
parentage analyses: 1.) addressing the presence of family structure within
the sampled parents and 2.) controlling for false-positive and
false-negative assignments. Result Results indicate that 30% of
reproductively successful males were precocials which produced 20% of the
returning anadromous offspring. Conclusion This study provides a framework
for applying single-parent assignments in a salmonid study system while
explicitly addressing sources of assignment errors.