DNA-based methods for pedigree reconstruction and kinship analysis in natural populations

The widespread use of microsatellite loci has spurred the recent development of many new statistical methods for inferring kin relationships from molecular data. We now have an unprecedented ability to infer detailed genealogical information about individuals in natural populations, but the best approach for a given problem is not always obvious. Researchers in different fields have also been deriving similar methods independently. Thus, some biologists might not be aware of what is even possible. By adopting these new methods, researchers in ecology and evolution could extract far more pedigree information from natural populations than is currently being exploited.