1. ¹Biotopic Foundation, Plantage Middenlaan 45, 1018 DC Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2. ²Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, PO Box 94766, 1090 GT Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Correspondence: Drs W E J Hoekert, Biotopic Foundation, Plantage Middenlaan 45, 1018 DC Amsterdam, The Netherlands. E-mail: hoekert@biotopic.demon.nl

Received 12 April 2001; Accepted 3 April 2002.

Abstract

Multiple paternity in the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) population nesting in Suriname was demonstrated using two microsatellite loci, viz., Ei8 and Cm84. The large number of offspring sampled per clutch (70 on average, ranging from 15 to 103) and the number of alleles found at the two loci (18 and eight alleles, respectively) enabled unambiguous assessment of the occurrence of multiple paternity. In two out of 10 clutches analysed, the offspring had been sired by at least two males, which was confirmed at both loci. In both clutches, unequal paternity occurred: 73% and 92% of the offspring had been sired by the primary male. The probability of detecting multiple paternity was 0.903, and therefore there is a small chance that multiple paternity occurred but remained undetected in some of the eight clutches that appeared to be singly sired. Analysis of 703 offspring revealed a high mutation rate for locus Ei8 ( = 2.3 10^{- 2}) with all 33 mutations occurring in maternal alleles. In particular, one allele of 274 bp mutated at a high frequency in a clutch to which the mother contributed the allele, but in another clutch where the father contributed the same allele, no such mutations were observed. Inferred allele-specific mutation rates for Ei8 and expected numbers of mutations per clutch confirmed that maternal alleles for Ei8 are more likely to mutate in the olive ridley sea turtle than paternal alleles. Possible explanations are discussed.