Data from: Mating system of Caiman yacare (Reptilia Alligatoridae) described from microsatellite genotypes

The yacare caiman (Caiman yacare) is a reptile from South America and 1 of the 2 crocodilian species present in Argentina. The degradation of their natural habitat and strong hunting pressure led to a sharp numerical decline of wild populations. Nowadays, C. yacare is included in Appendix II of CITES, and ranching practices in some areas in Argentina are helping hatching success. In this context, it is important to better understand the population structure and mating system of the species. To do this, we amplified 10 microsatellite markers (SSRs) in 148 individuals of 13 C. yacare nests. All of the markers were polymorphic with 2–12 alleles per locus, with allelic sizes ranging between 154 and 400 bp and medium levels of polymorphism (H o = 0.152–0.551 and H e = 0.221–0.621). We were able to determine the maternal genotype in 9 out of 13 nests. In 6 of them we found more than 1 paternal genotype, with a maximum of 3 fathers for a single nest. This study is the first to provide evidence of multiple paternity behavior. These findings will be useful to improve management and conservation strategies for the species.

巴拉圭凯门鳄（Caiman yacare）是分布于南美洲的爬行动物，也是阿根廷境内现存的两种鳄目物种之一。其自然栖息地的退化与高强度狩猎压力，导致其野生种群数量急剧下降。目前，该物种已被列入《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约（CITES）》附录Ⅱ，阿根廷部分地区的人工繁育实践正有助于提升其孵化成功率。在此背景下，深入了解该物种的种群结构与交配体系具有重要意义。为此，研究人员针对13个巴拉圭凯门鳄巢穴的148个个体，扩增得到10个微卫星标记（SSRs）。所有标记均具有多态性，每个位点的等位基因数量为2~12个，等位基因片段大小介于154~400 bp之间，多态性水平中等（观测杂合度H_o = 0.152~0.551，期望杂合度H_e = 0.221~0.621）。研究人员成功在13个巢穴中的9个中确定了母本基因型；其中6个巢穴检测到不止1种父本基因型，单个巢穴最多存在3个父本个体。本研究首次为巴拉圭凯门鳄的多父本行为提供了实证依据。上述研究结果将有助于优化该物种的管理与保护策略。