Validation of a single-nucleotide polymorphism panel for parentage testing of farmed red deer

Red deer behaviour prevents the accurate physical matching of dams to fawns and, therefore, breeders have to rely on DNA-based parentage testing. A panel consisting of 100 single nucleotide polymorphism markers, with an average minor allele frequency of 0.25, was able to resolve 92% of fawns to both parents. In comparison, an existing 12-marker microsatellite panel was able to resolve 68% of fawns to both parents. When excluding dam DNA information, the single nucleotide polymorphism panel matched 81% of the fawns to their sires and the microsatellite panel 71%.