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Liu J, Chai Z, Wang H, Ivanov A, Kubelka V, Freckleton R, Zhang Z, Székely T. Egg characteristics vary longitudinally in Arctic shorebirds. iScience 2023; 26:106928. [PMID: 37305692 PMCID: PMC10250164 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Arctic environments are changing rapidly and if we are to understand the resilience of species to future changes, we need to investigate alterations in their life histories. Egg size and egg shape are key life-history traits, reflecting parental investment as well as influencing future reproductive success. Here we focus on egg characteristics in two Arctic shorebirds, the Dunlin (Calidris alpina) and the Temminck's stint (Calidris temminckii). Using egg photos that encompass their full breeding ranges, we show that egg characteristics exhibit significant longitudinal variations, and the variation in the monogamous species (Dunlin) is significantly greater than the polygamous species (Temminck's stint). Our finding is consistent with the recent "disperse-to-mate" hypothesis which asserts that polygamous species disperse further to find mates than monogamous species, and by doing so they create panmictic populations. Taken together, Arctic shorebirds offer excellent opportunities to understand evolutionary patterns in life history traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Liu
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ziwen Chai
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Anton Ivanov
- Timiryazev State Biological Museum, Malaya Grusinskaya, 15, Moscow 123242, Russia
- All-Russian Research Institute for Environmental Protection (ARRIEP), 36 km MKAD, Moscow 117628, Russia
| | - Vojtěch Kubelka
- Department of Zoology and Centre for Polar Ecology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, České Budejovice 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Robert Freckleton
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Alfred Denny Building, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Zhengwang Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Tamás Székely
- Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen, Hungary
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
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Rönkä N, Pakanen VM, Pauliny A, Thomson RL, Nuotio K, Pehlak H, Thorup O, Lehikoinen P, Rönkä A, Blomqvist D, Koivula K, Kvist L. Genetic differentiation in an endangered and strongly philopatric, migrant shorebird. BMC Ecol Evol 2021; 21:125. [PMID: 34147062 PMCID: PMC8214799 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-021-01855-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Populations living in fragmented habitats may suffer from loss of genetic variation and reduced between-patch dispersal, which are processes that can result in genetic differentiation. This occurs frequently in species with reduced mobility, whereas genetic differentiation is less common among mobile species such as migratory birds. The high dispersal capacity in the latter species usually allows for gene flow even in fragmented landscapes. However, strongly philopatric behaviour can reinforce relative isolation and the degree of genetic differentiation. The Southern Dunlin (Calidris alpina schinzii) is a philopatric, long-distance migratory shorebird and shows reduced dispersal between isolated breeding patches. The endangered population of the Southern Dunlin breeding at the Baltic Sea has suffered from habitat deterioration and fragmentation of coastal meadows. We sampled DNA across the entire population and used 12 polymorphic microsatellite loci to examine whether the environmental changes have resulted in genetic structuring and loss of variation. Results We found a pattern of isolation-by-distance across the whole Baltic population and genetic differentiation between local populations, even within the southern Baltic. Observed heterozygosity was lower than expected throughout the range and internal relatedness values were positive indicating inbreeding. Conclusions Our results provide long-term, empirical evidence for the theoretically expected links between habitat fragmentation, population subdivision, and gene flow. They also demonstrate a rare case of genetic differentiation between populations of a long-distance migratory species. The Baltic Southern Dunlin differs from many related shorebird species that show near panmixia, reflecting its philopatric life history and the reduced connectivity of its breeding patches. The results have important implications as they suggest that reduced connectivity of breeding habitats can threaten even long-distance migrants if they show strong philopatry during breeding. The Baltic Southern Dunlin warrants urgent conservation efforts that increase functional connectivity and gene flow between breeding areas. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12862-021-01855-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelli Rönkä
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Veli-Matti Pakanen
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland.,Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 463, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Angela Pauliny
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 463, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Robert L Thomson
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.,Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| | - Kimmo Nuotio
- Environmental Agency, Valtakatu 11, 28100, Pori, Finland
| | - Hannes Pehlak
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 5, 51014, Tartu, Estonia.,OÜ Xenus, Koguva, 94724, Muhu Island, Saare, Estonia
| | - Ole Thorup
- , V. Vedsted Byvej 32, Vester Vedsted, 6760, Ribe, Denmark
| | - Petteri Lehikoinen
- The Helsinki Lab of Ornithology, Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Antti Rönkä
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Donald Blomqvist
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 463, 405 30, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Kari Koivula
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Laura Kvist
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
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3
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D’Urban Jackson J, Bruford MW, Székely T, DaCosta JM, Sorenson MD, Russo IRM, Maher KH, Cruz-López M, Galindo-Espinosa D, Palacios E, De Sucre-Medrano AE, Cavitt J, Pruner R, Morales AL, Gonzalez O, Burke T, Küpper C. Population differentiation and historical demography of the threatened snowy plover Charadrius nivosus (Cassin, 1858). CONSERV GENET 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-020-01256-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
AbstractDelineating conservation units is a complex and often controversial process that is particularly challenging for highly vagile species. Here, we reassess population genetic structure and identify those populations of highest conservation value in the threatened snowy plover (Charadrius nivosus, Cassin, 1858), a partial migrant shorebird endemic to the Americas. We use four categories of genetic data—mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), microsatellites, Z-linked and autosomal single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)—to: (1) assess subspecies delineation and examine population structure (2) compare the sensitivity of the different types of genetic data to detect spatial genetic patterns, and (3) reconstruct demographic history of the populations analysed. Delineation of two traditionally recognised subspecies was broadly supported by all data. In addition, microsatellite and SNPs but not mtDNA supported the recognition of Caribbean snowy plovers (C. n. tenuirostris) and Floridian populations (eastern C. n. nivosus) as distinct genetic lineage and deme, respectively. Low migration rates estimated from autosomal SNPs (m < 0.03) reflect a general paucity of exchange between genetic lineages. In contrast, we detected strong unidirectional migration (m = 0.26) from the western into the eastern nivosus deme. Within western nivosus, we found no genetic differentiation between coastal Pacific and inland populations. The correlation between geographic and genetic distances was weak but significant for all genetic data sets. All demes showed signatures of bottlenecks occurring during the past 1000 years. We conclude that at least four snowy plover conservation units are warranted: in addition to subspecies nivosus and occidentalis, a third unit comprises the Caribbean tenuirostris lineage and a fourth unit the distinct eastern nivosus deme.
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Tan HZ, Ng EYX, Tang Q, Allport GA, Jansen JJFJ, Tomkovich PS, Rheindt FE. Population genomics of two congeneric Palaearctic shorebirds reveals differential impacts of Quaternary climate oscillations across habitats types. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18172. [PMID: 31796810 PMCID: PMC6890745 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-54715-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Accepted: 11/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Intracontinental biotic divisions across the vast Palaearctic region are not well-characterized. Past research has revealed patterns ranging from a lack of population structure to deep divergences along varied lines of separation. Here we compared biogeographic patterns of two Palaearctic shorebirds with different habitat preferences, Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus) and Eurasian curlew (N. arquata). Using genome-wide markers from populations across the Palaearctic, we applied a multitude of population genomic and phylogenomic approaches to elucidate population structure. Most importantly, we tested for isolation by distance and visualized barriers and corridors to gene flow. We found shallow Palaearctic population structure in subpolar bog and tundra-breeding whimbrels, consistent with other species breeding at a similarly high latitude, indicating connectivity across the tundra belt, both presently and during southward shifts in periods of global cooling. In contrast, the temperate grassland-breeding Eurasian curlew emerged in three distinct clades corresponding to glacial refugia. Barriers to gene flow coincided with areas of topographic relief in the central Palaearctic for whimbrels and further east for Eurasian curlews. Our findings highlight the interplay of historic and ecological factors in influencing present-day population structure of Palaearctic biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Zhen Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558, Singapore
| | - Elize Ying Xin Ng
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558, Singapore
| | - Qian Tang
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558, Singapore
| | - Gary A Allport
- BirdLife International, The David Attenborough Building, Pembroke Street, Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK
| | - Justin J F J Jansen
- Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Pavel S Tomkovich
- Zoological Museum, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Bolshaya Nikitskaya Str. 2, Moscow, 125009, Russia
| | - Frank E Rheindt
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 16 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117558, Singapore.
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5
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Wang X, Que P, Heckel G, Hu J, Zhang X, Chiang CY, Zhang N, Huang Q, Liu S, Martinez J, Pagani-Núñez E, Dingle C, Leung YY, Székely T, Zhang Z, Liu Y. Genetic, phenotypic and ecological differentiation suggests incipient speciation in two Charadrius plovers along the Chinese coast. BMC Evol Biol 2019; 19:135. [PMID: 31248363 PMCID: PMC6598359 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-019-1449-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Speciation with gene flow is an alternative to the nascence of new taxa in strict allopatric separation. Indeed, many taxa have parapatric distributions at present. It is often unclear if these are secondary contacts, e.g. caused by past glaciation cycles or the manifestation of speciation with gene flow, which hampers our understanding of how different forces drive diversification. Here we studied genetic, phenotypic and ecological aspects of divergence in a pair of incipient shorebird species, the Kentish (Charadrius alexandrinus) and the White-faced Plovers (C. dealbatus), shorebirds with parapatric breeding ranges along the Chinese coast. We assessed divergence based on molecular markers with different modes of inheritance and quantified phenotypic and ecological divergence in aspects of morphometric, dietary and climatic niches. Results Our integrative analyses revealed small to moderate levels of genetic and phenotypic distinctiveness with symmetric gene flow across the contact area at the Chinese coast. The two species diverged approximately half a million years ago in dynamic isolation with secondary contact occurring due to cycling sea level changes between the Eastern and Southern China Sea in the mid-late Pleistocene. We found evidence of character displacement and ecological niche differentiation between the two species, invoking the role of selection in facilitating divergence despite gene flow. Conclusion These findings imply that ecology can indeed counter gene flow through divergent selection and thus contributes to incipient speciation in these plovers. Furthermore, our study highlights the importance of using integrative datasets to reveal the evolutionary history and assist the inference of mechanisms of speciation. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-019-1449-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuejing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Pinjia Que
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Gerald Heckel
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 6, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Genopode, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Junhua Hu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xuecong Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Chung-Yu Chiang
- Department of Environmental Science, Tunhai University, Taichun, Taiwan
| | - Nan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Qin Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Simin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | | | - Emilio Pagani-Núñez
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Caroline Dingle
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Yu Yan Leung
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China
| | - Tamás Székely
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.,Milner Center for Evolution, Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, BA1 7AY, UK
| | - Zhengwang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Ecological Engineering, College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Department of Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China.
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6
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LeBlanc NM, Stewart DT, Pálsson S, Elderkin MF, Mittelhauser G, Mockford S, Paquet J, Robertson GJ, Summers RW, Tudor L, Mallory ML. Population structure of Purple Sandpipers ( Calidris maritima) as revealed by mitochondrial DNA and microsatellites. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3225-3242. [PMID: 28480021 PMCID: PMC5415539 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2016] [Revised: 11/14/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The Purple Sandpiper (Calidris maritima) is a medium‐sized shorebird that breeds in the Arctic and winters along northern Atlantic coastlines. Migration routes and affiliations between breeding grounds and wintering grounds are incompletely understood. Some populations appear to be declining, and future management policies for this species will benefit from understanding their migration patterns. This study used two mitochondrial DNA markers and 10 microsatellite loci to analyze current population structure and historical demographic trends. Samples were obtained from breeding locations in Nunavut (Canada), Iceland, and Svalbard (Norway) and from wintering locations along the coast of Maine (USA), Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland (Canada), and Scotland (UK). Mitochondrial haplotypes displayed low genetic diversity, and a shallow phylogeny indicating recent divergence. With the exception of the two Canadian breeding populations from Nunavut, there was significant genetic differentiation among samples from all breeding locations; however, none of the breeding populations was a monophyletic group. We also found differentiation between both Iceland and Svalbard breeding populations and North American wintering populations. This pattern of divergence is consistent with a previously proposed migratory pathway between Canadian breeding locations and wintering grounds in the United Kingdom, but argues against migration between breeding grounds in Iceland and Svalbard and wintering grounds in North America. Breeding birds from Svalbard also showed a genetic signature intermediate between Canadian breeders and Icelandic breeders. Our results extend current knowledge of Purple Sandpiper population genetic structure and present new information regarding migration routes to wintering grounds in North America.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Snaebjörn Pálsson
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Iceland Reykjavík Iceland
| | - Mark F Elderkin
- Department of Natural Resources Government of Nova Scotia Kentville NS Canada
| | | | | | - Julie Paquet
- Canadian Wildlife Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada Sackville NB Canada
| | - Gregory J Robertson
- Wildlife Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada Mount Pearl NL Canada
| | - Ron W Summers
- Lismore, 7 Mill Crescent North Kessock Ross-shire UK
| | - Lindsay Tudor
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife Bangor ME USA
| | - Mark L Mallory
- Department of Biology Acadia University Wolfville NS Canada
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7
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Broad-scale genetic patterns of New Zealand abalone, Haliotis iris, across a distribution spanning 13° latitude and major oceanic water masses. Genetica 2015; 143:487-500. [PMID: 26050219 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-015-9847-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2014] [Accepted: 05/30/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The New Zealand black-foot abalone, Haliotis iris, or pāua, is endemic to the rocky reefs surrounding New Zealand, whose main land mass spans 13° of latitude and separates the Tasman Sea from the Pacific Ocean. In this study, we examined the population genetic structure of this important commercial, cultural and recreational species by genotyping nine microsatellite loci in 485 pāua from 27 locations distributed across mainland New Zealand and the Chatham Islands. We found low, but significant, levels of genetic differentiation. Key genetic breaks were identified among the Chatham Islands and mainland samples; patterns that are strongly corroborated by prior work employing mtDNA sequences. AMOVAs indicated that samples from the south of the North Island were more similar to the South Island samples than to other North Island samples, however multivariate analysis and Bayesian clustering could not identify a significant pattern. Differentiation between the Chatham Islands and the mainland is most likely due to isolation by distance, while differentiation of North Island samples corresponds with major components of New Zealand's oceanography, Cook Strait and the East Cape. Despite intense fishing pressure, we detected no signature of genetic bottlenecks in any region suggesting that population sizes have remained relatively stable over recent time or that the census size of this species is much larger than its effective population size.
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8
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Swaegers J, Mergeay J, Therry L, Bonte D, Larmuseau MHD, Stoks R. Unravelling the effects of contemporary and historical range expansion on the distribution of genetic diversity in the damselfly Coenagrion scitulum. J Evol Biol 2014; 27:748-59. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2013] [Revised: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 01/23/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Swaegers
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation; University of Leuven; Leuven Belgium
| | - J. Mergeay
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation; University of Leuven; Leuven Belgium
- Research Institute for Nature and Forest; Geraardsbergen Belgium
| | - L. Therry
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation; University of Leuven; Leuven Belgium
| | - D. Bonte
- Terrestrial Ecology Unit; Ghent University; Ghent Belgium
| | - M. H. D. Larmuseau
- Laboratory of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Genomics; University of Leuven; Leuven Belgium
- Laboratory of Forensic Genetics and Molecular Archaeology; University of Leuven; Leuven Belgium
| | - R. Stoks
- Laboratory of Aquatic Ecology, Evolution and Conservation; University of Leuven; Leuven Belgium
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9
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Küpper C, Edwards SV, Kosztolányi A, Alrashidi M, Burke T, Herrmann P, Argüelles-Tico A, Amat JA, Amezian M, Rocha A, Hötker H, Ivanov A, Chernicko J, Székely T. High gene flow on a continental scale in the polyandrous Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus. Mol Ecol 2012; 21:5864-79. [PMID: 23094674 DOI: 10.1111/mec.12064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2012] [Revised: 08/24/2012] [Accepted: 08/29/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Gene flow promotes genetic homogeneity of species in time and space. Gene flow can be modulated by sex-biased dispersal that links population genetics to mating systems. We investigated the phylogeography of the widely distributed Kentish plover Charadrius alexandrinus. This small shorebird has a large breeding range spanning from Western Europe to Japan and exhibits an unusually flexible mating system with high female breeding dispersal. We analysed genetic structure and gene flow using a 427-bp fragment of the mitochondrial (mtDNA) control region, 21 autosomal microsatellite markers and a Z microsatellite marker in 397 unrelated individuals from 21 locations. We found no structure or isolation-by-distance over the continental range. However, island populations had low genetic diversity and were moderately differentiated from mainland locations. Genetic differentiation based on autosomal markers was positively correlated with distance between mainland and each island. Comparisons of uniparentally and biparentally inherited markers were consistent with female-biased gene flow. Maternally inherited mtDNA was less structured, whereas the Z-chromosomal marker was more structured than autosomal microsatellites. Adult males were more related than females within genetic clusters. Taken together, our results suggest a prominent role for polyandrous females in maintaining genetic homogeneity across large geographic distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clemens Küpper
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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