Review: microsatellite markers in amphibian conservation genetics

Recent technical advances allow straightforward access to genetic information directly drawnfrom DNA. The present article highlights the suitability of high variation molecular geneticmarkers, such as microsatellites, for studies relevant to amphibian conservation. Molecularmarkers appear particularly useful for i) measuring local gene flow and migration, ii) assigningindividuals to their most likely population of origin, iii) measuring effective population sizethrough the between-generation comparison of allele frequencies, and iv) detecting pastdemographic bottlenecks through allele frequency distortions. We demonstrate the use of somenewly developed analytical tools on newt (Triturus sp.) microsatellite data, discuss practicalaspects of using microsatellites for amphibians, and outline potential future research directions