Characterization of eight microsatellite loci in the Galápagos endemic land snail Bulimulus reibischi, and their cross-species amplification.

Variation in and amplification conditions for eight polymorphic microsatellite loci initially identified from Bulimulus akamatus, a pulmonate land snail from Galápagos, are described. Intraspecific polymorphism and heterozygosity of the eight markers were studied in 19 populations of Bulimulus reibischi, a closely related species of B. akamatus. Furthermore, the eight loci were also cross-amplified in six other closely related bulimulid species. The number of alleles across populations of B. reibischi at six loci is moderate (three to 10), but considerable for two other loci (19 and 20). There is no strong evidence for linkage among any of the loci examined.