TaqMan assays for genotyping 45 single nucleotide polymorphisms in the humpback whale nuclear genome

The humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, migrates along coastal routes between high latitude summer feeding areas and low latitude winter breeding areas in both hemispheres. The coastal migrations and frequent surfacing behaviour make it easy to take biopsy samples from its skin and blubber and it is consequently the most intensely studied of the great whales. Microsatellite markers have been developed for population genetics and kinship studies of this species, but these show poor genotyping reproducibility among laboratories and scientists. We describe 45 TaqMan® single nucleotide polymorphism markers for a highly reproducable alternative genotyping system for M. novaeangliae.