Extensive hybridization in a contact zone between MacGillivray’s warblers Oporornis tolmiei and mourning warblers O. philadelphia detected using molecular and morphological analyses
نویسندگان
چکیده
There are many pairs of related western and eastern avian taxa in North America, and for many of these, little is known about their interactions in sympatry. One example is provided by MacGillivray’s warblers Oporornis tolmiei and mourning warblers Oporornis philadelphia. There have been occasional reports of range contact and hybridization between these forms, but recent authors have doubted these reports. We show that these two species do in fact come into extensive range contact in the southern Peace Region of British Columbia, just east of the Rocky Mountains. We analyze whether patterns of variation in morphometric traits, eye-arcs, a mitochondrial DNA marker (COI), and a Zchromosome marker (CHD1Z) are consistent with reproductive isolation or hybridization in this contact zone. Each trait shows strong differences between allopatric MacGillivray’s warblers and allopatric mourning warblers, yet in the contact zone there are many birds with a combination of traits typical of both species. This is clearly seen in the molecular markers, for which 18 of 50 birds genotyped in the contact zone have both western and eastern alleles. These patterns strongly indicate the presence of an extensive hybrid zone between MacGillivray’s and mourning warblers. Variation in each of the four traits is explained well by a single sigmoidal cline, with a width of roughly 150 km (or 130 km based only on the molecular markers). This is only the fourth hybrid zone known among North American wood-warblers (Parulidae).
منابع مشابه
Extensive hybridization in a contact zone between MacGillivray’s and mourning warblers (Oporornis tolmiei and O. philadelphia) detected using molecular and morphological analyses
This is a pre-acceptance preprint of: Irwin DE, Brelsford A, Toews DPL, MacDonald C, Phinney M. Extensive hybridization in a contact zone between MacGillivray’s and mourning warblers (Oporornis tolmiei and O. philadelphia) detected using molecular and morphological analyses. Journal of Avain Biology, in press (accepted 12 January 2009). For the definitive version, please see the Journal of Avia...
متن کاملHybridization between Townsend’s Dendroica townsendi and black- throated green warblers D. virens in an avian suture zone
Hybrid zones between species provide natural systems for the study of processes involved in divergence, reproductive isolation and speciation. Townsend’s Dendroica townsendi and black-throated green D. virens warblers are phenotypically and genetically divergent groups that occur in western and eastern North America respectively, with potential for range contact in the Rocky Mountains of Britis...
متن کاملCan Song Discriminate between Macgillivray's and Mourning Warblers in a Narrow Hybrid Zone?
متن کامل
Ongoing Movement of the Hermit Warbler X Townsend's Warbler Hybrid Zone
BACKGROUND Movements of hybrid zones - areas of overlap and interbreeding between species - are difficult to document empirically. This is true because moving hybrid zones are expected to be rare, and because movement may proceed too slowly to be measured directly. Townsend's warblers (Dendroica townsendi) hybridize with hermit warblers (D. occidentalis) where their ranges overlap in Washington...
متن کاملPlumage and mitochondrial DNA haplotype variation across a moving hybrid zone.
We analyze variation in phenotypes and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes over the breeding ranges of hermit and Townsend's warblers and across two of their three hybrid zones. Within these two hybrid zones, we demonstrate that the placement, shape, and width of transitions in seven plumage characters are remarkably similar, suggesting that a balance between dispersal and sexual selection kee...
متن کامل