A IISNPs panel for the giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca )

The giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca) , as an endemic species of China, is also a flagship species of wildlife Conservation. However, the accuracy of individual identification of giant pandas is typically problematic due to the high error rate of microsatellite typing methods. In this study, a panel of 61 SNP makers was developed for individual identification. Of these, 55 polymorphic SNP markers were successfully genotyped. The observed heterozygosity ( Ho ), expected heterozygosity ( He ) and polymorphic information content ( PIC ) ranged from 0.056 to 0.611 (mean 0.352), 0.131–0.509 (mean 0.389) and 0.099–0.389(mean 0.305), respectively. No SNPs significantly deviated from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium ( P < 0.05). Our study provides a framework for improving the accuracy of individual identification of giant pandas, especially for poor quality samples collected from the wild.