Cryptic differentiation in the Manx shearwater hinders the identification of a new endemic subspecies

Abstract

The taxonomy of Procellariiformes, particularly petrels and shearwaters, is still unresolved. The Manx shearwater Puffinus puffinus is one of the best studied seabirds worldwide. Most of the information known on this seabird is focused on the northern core populations where the species is abundant. However, the species shows a high number of peripheral populations, which are extremely small and difficult to study in comparison to central populations. Using an integrative approach, we provided significant evidence of phenological, morphological, acoustic, plumage colour and genetic differentiation of the Canarian Manx shearwaters (the most southern population) from the northern breeding colonies, which is compatible with a long period of isolation. Birds from the Canary Islands breed around 2-3 months earlier, are smaller and lighter and show darker underwing plumage than those from northern populations. In addition, Canarian call features are different from the northern populations. Finally, genetic analyses of the mitochondrial control region indicate an incipient genetic differentiation of Canarian Manx shearwaters from the other breeding populations. The Canarian population holds a small number of breeding colonies and it is declining, so accurate taxonomic recognition critically affects conservation efforts. For all the aforementioned reasons, we propose to rank the Canarian breeding population as a new taxon by presenting the formal description of a new subspecies Puffinus puffinus canariensis ssp. nov.

Avoidance of different durations, colours and intensities of artificial light by adult seabirds

“…In autumn, young birds fledge at night, and this is when they are particularly susceptible to the impacts of artificial light 34 . Manx shearwater groundings are reported frequently close to colonies on the Canary Islands, Madeira and Azores 69 , in western Scotland 34 , 36 , and around the mainland coast of southwest Wales, near large colonies of shearwaters located on Skomer and Skokholm Islands (Anna Sutcliffe pers. comm.).…”

LuMinAves: cooperative research and mitigation of light pollution impacts in seabirds

“…Yes. Admissions to rehabilitation centre 1990 to current Procellariidae Puffinus puffinus canariensis [4] Yes. Here we present a general overview of the methods and current results from the main actions executed during the project and generally discuss its effectiveness and implications to the region.…”

Draft genome of the oriental garden lizard (Calotes versicolor)

“…Rapid development of high-throughput sequencing technologies during the last decade has opened new avenues to address the genetic basis of adaptation and speciation in natural populations ( Vijay et al, 2016 ). The use of genetic data has proven to be valuable in delimiting taxa that would not have been recognized based on morphology alone ( Spinks and Shaffer, 2005 ; Wenner et al, 2012 ; Rodríguez et al, 2020 ). A high-quality genome is a valuable genetic resource to explore the possible genetic basis for the biological features of lizards ( Alföldi et al, 2011 ; Lind et al, 2019 ; Gemmell et al, 2020 ).…”