Testing evolutionary hypotheses about species borders: patterns of genetic variation towards the southern borders of two rainforest Drosophila and a related habitat generalist

Several evolutionary hypotheses help explain why only some species adapt readily to new conditions and expand distributions beyond borders, but there is limited evidence testing these hypotheses. In this study, we consider patterns of neutral (microsatellite) and quantitative genetic variation in traits in three species of Drosophila from the montium species group in eastern Australia. We found little support for restricted or asymmetrical gene flow in any species. In rainforest-restricted Drosophila birchii, there was evidence of selection for increased desiccation and starvation resistance towards the southern border, and a reduction in genetic diversity in desiccation resistance at this border. No such patterns existed for Drosophila bunnanda, which has an even more restricted distribution. In the habitat generalist Drosophila serrata, there was evidence for geographic selection for wing size and development time, although clinal patterns for increased cold and starvation resistance towards the southern border could not be differentiated from neutral expectations. These findings suggest that borders in these species are not limited by low overall genetic variation but instead in two of the species reflect patterns of selection and genetic variability in key traits limiting borders

Contrasting extreme long-distance migration patterns in bar-tailed godwits <i>Limosa lapponica</i>

Migrating birds make the longest non-stop endurance flights in the animal kingdom. Satellite technology is now providingdirect evidence on the lengths and durations of these flights and associated staging episodes for individual birds. Using thistechnology, we compared the migration performance of two subspecies of bar-tailed godwit Limosa lapponica travellingbetween non-breeding grounds in New Zealand (subspecies baueri) and northwest Australia (subspecies menzbieri) andbreeding grounds in Alaska and eastern Russia, respectively. Individuals of both subspecies made long, usually non-stop,flights from non-breeding grounds to coastal staging grounds in the Yellow Sea region of East Asia (average 10 060 ? SD290 km for baueri and 5860 ? 240 km for menzbieri). After an average stay of 41.2 ? 4.8 d, baueri flew over the North PacificOcean before heading northeast to the Alaskan breeding grounds (6770 ? 800 km). Menzbieri staged for 38.4 ? 2.5 d,and flew over land and sea northeast to high arctic Russia (4170 ? 370 km). The post-breeding journey for baueri involvedseveral weeks of staging in southwest Alaska followed by non-stop flights across the Pacific Ocean to New Zealand (11 690 kmin a complete track) or stopovers on islands in the southwestern Pacific en route to New Zealand and eastern Australia. Bycontrast, menzbieri returned to Australia via stopovers in the New Siberian Islands, Russia, and back at the Yellow Sea; birdstravelled on average 4510 ? 360 km from Russia to the Yellow Sea, staged there for 40.8 ? 5.6 d, and then flew another5680–7180 km to Australia (10 820 ? 300 km in total). Overall, the entire migration of the single baueri godwit with afully completed return track totalled 29 280 km and involved 20 d of major migratory flight over a round-trip journey of174 d. The entire migrations of menzbieri averaged 21 940 ? 570 km, including 14 d of major migratory flights out of 154 dtotal. Godwits of both populations exhibit extreme flight performance, and baueri makes the longest (southbound) andsecond-longest (northbound) non-stop migratory flights documented for any bird. Both subspecies essentially make singlestops when moving between non-breeding and breeding sites in opposite hemispheres. This reinforces the critical importanceof the intertidal habitats used by fuelling godwits in Australasia, the Yellow Sea, and Alaska