Evolution in microsatellite DNA: testing models of mutation in an Australian marsupial

We aim to compare mutational events between microsatellite loci that vary in their exposure to recombination. We are able to do this because of the remarkable finding that Australian brushtail possums have mutiple occurrences of a single microsatellite repeat element within the Y-chromosome and among individual possums and use those comparisons to distinguish between recombinant and non-recombinant mutational mechanisms. These data will provide new insights into the mutational mechanisms that drive variation in these most important molecular markers.