Data from: Development of conserved microsatellite markers of high cross-species utility in bat species (Vespertilionidae, Chiroptera, Mammalia)

Comparative ecological and behavioural studies of the widespread and diverse Vespertilionidae, which comprise almost 400 of the 1,100 bat species, have been limited by the availability of markers. The potential of new methods for developing conserved microsatellite markers which possess enhanced cross-species utility has recently been illustrated in studies of birds. We have applied these methods to develop enhanced microsatellite markers for vespertilionid bats, in particular for the genus Myotis (103 species). We compared published bat microsatellites with their homologs in the genome sequence of the little brown bat, Myotis lucifugus to create consensus sequences which were used to design candidate primer sets. Primer sets were then tested for amplification and polymorphism in 22 species of bat from nine of the largest families (including 11 Vespertilionidae). Of 46 loci tested, 33 were polymorphic, on average, for each of seven Myotis species tested, 20 in each of four non-Myotis vespertilionid species, and two in 11 non-vespertilionid species