Avian Species Concepts in the Light of Genomics

Ottenburghs, Jente

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-16477-5_7

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 149 publications

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“…We agree with de Queiroz (1998,2007) that there is near universal acceptance of the concept that species represent separately evolving population-level lineages with the various species concepts emphasizing different criteria used to delimit species, each of which are useful. This is consistent with recent pluralistic trends in avian taxonomy (Sangster 2014, Ottenburghs 2019, Cadena and Zapata 2021.…”

supporting

confidence: 89%

Response to Hill and Powers: It is irrelevant that the mode and tempo of Cassia crossbill speciation is not typical for birds

Brock

Porter

2022

Journal of Avian Biology

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Species delineation has a long and contentious history, yet most agree that sympatric populations exhibiting high levels of reproductive isolation and evolving independently are species. In an opinion piece, Hill and Powers (2021; hereafter H&P) claim that several recognized species of crossbills (Loxia spp.) do not represent species because by no measure are they discrete, the vocalizations used to categorize crossbills are learned, modified and can switch to that of a different species, and reproductive isolation is incomplete and weak. We argue that the behavioral and genetic evidence indicate that Cassia crossbills L. sinesciuris, which we focus on because the data relevant to species status are more diverse and extensive, are genetically discrete; call modification rarely leads to crossbill misclassification and overwhelmingly results in call divergence and enhanced discrimination; and are nearly completely reproductively isolated with little evidence of introgression from sympatric red crossbills. The differences in our conclusions result in part from H&P mischaracterizing and misconstruing the ecology of Cassia crossbills, geographic context of their divergence, and evidence for reproductive isolation. H&P seemingly require that crossbills must adhere to the typical model of bird speciation–protracted divergence in allopatry, followed by a gradual increase in sympatry if reproductive isolation and ecological divergence allow–and require evidence such as initial long periods of allopatry, FST values > 0.2, divergent mtDNA and intrinsic postzygotic isolation. Although such evidence commonly distinguishes bird species, an increasing number of studies show that such criteria are not necessary to indicate sympatric, evolutionarily independent lineages.

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supporting

confidence: 89%

Response to Hill and Powers: It is irrelevant that the mode and tempo of Cassia crossbill speciation is not typical for birds

Brock

Porter

2022

Journal of Avian Biology

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“…on the processes that structure genotypic and phenotypic variation during speciation) should guide species delimitation in practice. This paper complements a recent review on avian species concepts in the light of genomics based on the criteria of diagnosability, phylogeny, and reproductive isolation (Ottenburghs 2019). Both that review and our perspective convey the message that genomic data should be integrated with -yet cannot replace-other types of data in species diagnoses (see also Winker 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 66%

The genomic revolution and species delimitation in birds (and other organisms): gene flow matters, but what about other evolutionary forces?

Cadena¹,

Zapata²

2020

Preprint

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Given the notion that species are population-level lineages and the availability of genomic data to identify separately evolving populations, researchers usually establish species limits based on gene flow or lack thereof. A strict focus on gene flow as the main –or only– criterion to delimit species involves two main complications in practice. First, approaches often used to apply this criterion to genome-wide data cannot by themselves distinguish species limits from within-species population structure, particularly in allopatric organisms. Second, recognizing as species only those lineages one can identify using such approaches fails to embrace the role of other evolutionary forces (i.e. various forms of selection) in defining evolutionary lineages. Using examples from various groups of birds, we call for the importance of considering evolutionary forces additional to gene flow in species delimitation and explain why genomic approaches commonly used in taxonomic studies may be insufficient by themselves to properly uncover species limits. By considering the processes that structure genotypic and phenotypic variation during speciation, we argue that rigorous analyses of phenotypic variation remain crucial for species delimitation in the genomics era because phenotypes uniquely inform us about the role of selection maintaining the cohesion of evolutionary lineages. Evolutionary theory describing the roles of gene flow, genetic drift and natural selection in the origin and maintenance of species calls for an integration of genomics with phenomics in avian species delimitation.

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“…More recently, an integrative taxonomy approach has been favoured for many different organisms (Dayrat, 2005; Hashemzadeh Segherloo et al, 2021; Ottenburghs, 2019). In this, different species concepts and pluralistic information are integrated to reach an informed decision on species taxonomy.…”

Section: Systematics and Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some have argued that species should be a monophyletic group of populations or an exclusive coalescence of gene trees. However, genomic data used to identify key adaptations make these criteria obsolete (Ottenburghs, 2019). In addition, phylogenetic trees produced by different genes, or groups of genes, are frequently discordant, especially those based on mtDNA versus nDNA (Pustovrh et al, 2014; Wallis et al, 2017).…”

Section: Systematics and Conservationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Identifying and conserving sympatric diversity in trout of the genus Salmo, with particular reference to Lough Melvin, Ireland

Ferguson

Prodöhl

2022

Ecology of Freshwater Fish

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Salmonid (Salmonidae) sympatric diversity is the co-occurrence, in a lake or river, of two or more reproductively isolated populations/subpopulations, or phenotypes resulting from phenotypic plasticity. Sympatric populations can arise through allopatric and/ or sympatric evolution. Subsequently, allopatric lineages can occur in sympatry due to independent colonisation and/or through anthropogenic introduction. Sympatric divergence is often driven by feeding opportunities, with populations segregating as planktivorous, benthivorous and piscivorous ecotypes ("trophic polymorphism"), and further segregation occurring by feeding depth and body size. Subpopulations evolve by natal homing where a water has two or more discrete spawning areas, often resulting in phenotypically and ecologically cryptic sympatry. Most known sympatric populations/phenotypes in trout of the genus Salmo (Eurasian trout aka brown trout) involve sympatric piscivorous (ferox) and lifetime invertivorous trout. Segregation on the benthic-limnetic axis has been poorly studied in Eurasian trout compared with other salmonids but is likely commoner than currently described. While three sympatric populations/species of Eurasian trout are recognised from Lake Ohrid (Albania/ North Macedonia), limited ecological information is available and there are only two lakes with three or four sympatric populations with described benthic, limnetic and piscivorous trophic segregation: Lough Melvin (Ireland) and Loch Laidon (Scotland), the latter having the only identified case of a sympatric profundal benthic feeding populations, possibly due to the absence of Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus) in the lake.Many thousands of waters are yet to be examined. Some sympatric populations are extinct, and others are vulnerable with conservation action being urgently required. This should ideally be based on populations/conservation units, but the lack of recognition of intraspecific units in most legislations in the native Eurasian trout range necessitates a pragmatic approach, with species classification, where appropriate, based on integrative taxonomy. Some sympatric populations clearly merit species status and should be formally classified as such if a valid previous name is not available.

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Avian Species Concepts in the Light of Genomics

Cited by 11 publications

References 149 publications

Response to Hill and Powers: It is irrelevant that the mode and tempo of Cassia crossbill speciation is not typical for birds

Response to Hill and Powers: It is irrelevant that the mode and tempo of Cassia crossbill speciation is not typical for birds

The genomic revolution and species delimitation in birds (and other organisms): gene flow matters, but what about other evolutionary forces?

Identifying and conserving sympatric diversity in trout of the genus Salmo, with particular reference to Lough Melvin, Ireland

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