Gene flow and genetic divergence among mainland and insular populations across the south-western range of the Eurasian treecreeper (Certhia familiaris , Aves)

International audienceThe Eurasian treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) comprises two mitochondrial lineages that diverged during the mid-Pleistocene. One palaeoendemic lineage has an allopatric range currently restricted to the island of Corsica and the Caucasus region, whereas the second one has a very large Eurasian range. Here, we used microsatellites (N = 6) and mitochondrial DNA (COI) to assess the genetic structure of insular and mainland populations from Corsica, mainland France and Central Italy (N = 258) and the level of mitochondrial and nuclear gene flow among these populations. Concordant with the mitochondrial DNA signal, the results for microsatellites clearly demonstrate that the Corsican population (Certhia familiaris corsa) is strongly divergent from nearby mainland populations (Certhia familiaris macrodactyla). Microsatellite data also support significant divergence and low gene flow between the Central Italian and mainland French populations. Our results suggest low nuclear gene flow from the mainland into Corsica and no mitochondrial gene flow. Sporadic gene flow from the nearby mainland might explain the presence of continental nuclear alleles in the genome of 5% of sampled insular birds. Our study confirms the existence of an endemic Corsican treecreeper lineage with important conservation value. Our results also imply that Eurasian treecreepers from Central Italy constitute a distinct management unit

Rapid diversification and secondary sympatry in Australo-Pacific kingfishers (Aves: Alcedinidae: Todiramphus)

Todiramphus chloris is the most widely distributed of the Pacific's ‘great speciators’. Its 50 subspecies constitute a species complex that is distributed over 16 000 km from the Red Sea to Polynesia. We present, to our knowledge, the first comprehensive molecular phylogeny of this enigmatic radiation of kingfishers. Ten Pacific Todiramphus species are embedded within the T. chloris complex, rendering it paraphyletic. Among these is a radiation of five species from the remote islands of Eastern Polynesian, as well as the widespread migratory taxon, Todiramphus sanctus. Our results offer strong support that Pacific Todiramphus, including T. chloris, underwent an extensive range expansion and diversification less than 1 Ma. Multiple instances of secondary sympatry have accumulated in this group, despite its recent origin, including on Australia and oceanic islands in Palau, Vanuatu and the Solomon Islands. Significant ecomorphological and behavioural differences exist between secondarily sympatric lineages, which suggest that pre-mating isolating mechanisms were achieved rapidly during diversification. We found evidence for complex biogeographic patterns, including a novel phylogeographic break in the eastern Solomon Islands that separates a Northern Melanesian clade from Polynesian taxa. In light of our results, we discuss systematic relationships of Todiramphus and propose an updated taxonomy. This paper contributes to our understanding of avian diversification and assembly on islands, and to the systematics of a classically polytypic species complex.This project was funded in part by an American Museum of Natural History Chapman Fellowship (M.J.A.), an American Ornithologists' Union Research Award (M.J.A.), a University of Kansas Doctoral Student Research Fund (M.J.A.) and NSF DEB-1241181 and DEB-0743491 (R.G.M.

Distribution and characteristics of urban nesting sites of sympatric swifts

Distribution and nest locations of Common and Pallid Swifts are compared in two towns located in the Mediterranean zone, Bastia in Corsica and Nice on the French Riviera. Our goal is to evaluate whether nesting site selection by swifts on urban settings differs between the two locations. First, we noted an avoidance in the distribution between the two swifts in both towns. Secondly, our results show that Common and Pallid Swifts use different nesting sites to breed in Bastia, whereas the same structures are used by the two species in Nice. Requirement of each species differs between the two localities, suggesting that nesting site use is more locality dependent than species dependent

Sylvia is a babbler: taxonomic implications for the families Sylviidae and Timaliidae

Volume: 123Start Page: 257End Page: 26

Vers une systématique moléculaire du genre <i>Criniger</i> et une phylogénie préliminaire des bulbuls (Aves, Passeriformes, Pycnonotidae)

L’analyse de fragments d’ADN de deux gènes mitochondriaux (12S et 16S) de 27 espèces de bulbuls (Pycnonotidae), appartenant à huit genres africains et asiatiques, a permis de démontrer la polyphylie du genre Criniger Temminck, 1820, formé de deux clades, l’un comprenant les espèces asiatiques, l’autre les espèces africaines. Il est proposé de conserver Criniger pour les espèces africaines et d’utiliser Alophoixus Oates, 1889 pour les asiatiques. Cette étude apporte aussi des éléments permettant de formuler l’hypothèse de la monophylie des bulbuls africains, si l’on exclut les espèces du genre Pycnonotus, probablement diversifiées récemment en Afrique.The analysis of DNA fragments of two mitochondrial genes (12S and 16S) from 27 species of bulbuls (Pycnonotidae), belonging to eight African and Asiatic genera, demonstrates the polyphyly of the genus Criniger Temminck, 1820, with two clades: one with the African species, the other with the Asiatic species. We propose to maintain Criniger for the African species and use Alophoixus Oates, 1889 for the Asiatic ones. This study also brings the first elements on the monophyly of African bulbuls, with the exception of Pycnonotus species which are of probable recent diversification in Africa.</p

PHYLOGENIE ET BIOGEOGRAPHIE DES TIMALIIDAE (AVES, PASSERIFORMES)

LA FAMILLE DES TIMALIIDAE, LES TIMALIES, EST UN GROUPE IMPORTANT AU SEIN DES PASSEREAUX INSECTIVORES DE L'ANCIEN MONDE. ELLE COMPREND PLUS DE 200 ESPECES PRINCIPALEMENT FORESTIERES, DISTRIBUEES POUR LA PLUS GRANDE PARTIE EN ASIE DU SUD-EST, ET PRESENTANT UNE GRANDE DIVERSITE MORPHOLOGIQUE ET ECOLOGIQUE. EN L'ABSENCE DE DIAGNOSE PRECISE, DE NOMBREUX PASSEREAUX ONT ETE, ET SONT TOUJOURS POUR CERTAINS, INCLUS EN DESESPOIR DE CAUSE PARMI LES TIMALIIDAE. DE PLUS, LES HYPOTHESES PHYLOGENETIQUES CONCERNANT CE GROUPE NE SONT PAS SATISFAISANTES, CAR ELLES SONT POUR LA PLUPART TRES SUBJECTIVES ET BASEES SUR LA RESSEMBLANCE GENERALE. L'OBJECTIF DE CE TRAVAIL EST DE RESOUDRE EN PARTIE CES DEUX PROBLEMES, EN PROPOSANT UNE PHYLOGENIE DE LA FAMILLE BASEES SUR L'ANALYSE DE SEQUENCES DE GENES MITOCHONDRIAUX (CYTOCHROME B, ARN RIBOSOMIQUES 12S ET 16S), AINSI QU'UNE NOUVELLE CLASSIFICATION BASEE SUR CES RESULTATS. L'ANALYSE PHYLOGENETIQUE PERMET, DANS UN PREMIER TEMPS, DE PRECISER LA DEFINITION DES LIMITES DE LA FAMILLE, EN EXCLUANT UN CERTAIN NOMBRE DE TIMALIES PRESUMEES, APPARENTEES EN REALITE A D'AUTRES GROUPES DE PASSEREAUX. C'EST LE CAS DES TAXONS D'AUSTRALIE, DE MADAGASCAR, ET DE CERTAINES ESPECES ASIATIQUES ET AFRICAINES. EN CE QUI CONCERNE L'ILE DE MADAGASCAR, UNE IMPORTANTE RADIATION ENDEMIQUE EST MISE EN EVIDENCE, REGROUPANT DES PASSEREAUX PLACES HABITUELLEMENT DANS TROIS FAMILLES D'OSCINES (DONT LES TIMALIIDAE). DANS UN SECOND TEMPS, DEUX GROUPES SONT DETERMINES A L'INTERIEUR DES TIMALIIDAE. LE PREMIER GROUPE COMPREND A LA FOIS DES TAXONS PLACES PARMI LES TIMALIIDAE ET LES PANURIDAE (UNE FAMILLE CONSIDEREE COMME PROCHE DES TIMALIIDAE), AINSI QUE LE GENRE SYLVIA QUI EST LE GENRE TYPE DE LA FAMILLES DES SYLVIIDAE (LES FAUVETTES). LE SECOND GROUPE COMPREND L'ENSEMBLE DES AUTRES TIMALIES ETUDIEES. LES RELATIONS PHYLOGENETIQUES OBTENUES SONT DISCUTEES A LA LUMIERE DES HYPOTHESES PRECEDENTES, ET LES RESULTATS INDIQUENT LA POLYPHYLIE DE PLUSIEURS GENRES DE TIMALIES.PARIS-Museum Hist.Naturelle (751052304) / SudocSudocFranceF

The natural history and conservation of Acrocephalus rimitarae, the endemic reed-warbler of Rimatara Island, Oceania

Volume: 126Start Page: 201End Page: 20