Mitochondrial DNA and plumage evolution in the white wagtailMotacilla alba

Abstract

Red'kin, Y. A., Fadeev, I. V. and Nesterov, E. V. 2005. Mitochondrial DNA and plumage evolution in the white wagtail Motacilla alba . Á/ J. Avian Biol. 36: 322 Á/336.We analyzed sequences of two mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) gene regions (control region and ND2) totaling 1477 base-pairs from 232 specimens of the white wagtail Motacilla alba obtained from 27 localities throughout Eurasia. Although overall haplotype diversity was relatively low (0.79) and the most common haplotype was shared by 45% of individuals, belonging to six subspecies, a high level of population differentiation was detected. The mtDNA tree revealed three clades: (1) most individuals from Krasnodar (belonging to M. a. alba subspecies), (2) all individuals from Almaty and some from Primor'e (belonging to M. a. personata , M. a. lugens and M. a. leucopsis subspecies), and (3) the remaining individuals (representing all subspecies and all localities except Almaty). We suggest that these three clades represent historically isolated populations that relatively recently came into secondary contact in Krasnodar and Primor'e. None of the six subspecies were reciprocally monophyletic in the mtDNA tree. The Krasnodar population appeared to receive immigrants from other localities, but distinctive haplotypes from this locality did not appear elsewhere, suggesting asymmetric gene flow. Signatures of recent gene flow between northern populations were detected, and there was no evidence of isolation by distance within the northern group of populations. Mismatch distributions for most localities were consistent with population expansions. We also analyzed 12 male plumage characters from 93 study skins sampled from 24 populations. Phylogenetic trees resulting from separate genetic and morphological analyses were incongruent. Plumage evolution seems to be under strong sexual or natural selection, which favors particular phenotypes in various areas irrespective of the mitochondrial background. Dispersal events at different evolutionary times could have obscured the effects of earlier isolation events. The mtDNA data does not support species status for M. a. lugens and M. a. personata , which shared haplotypes with other subspecies of M. alba . We recommend that M. lugens and M. personata are placed as junior synonyms of M. alba .

Testing the molecular and evolutionary causes of a ‘leapfrog’ pattern of geographical variation in coloration

“…The same conclusion was reached by other studies examining leapfrog patterns in a phylogenetic context (García‐Moreno & Fjeldså, 1999; Dumbacher & Fleischer, 2001; Norman et al. , 2002; Pavlova et al. , 2005).…”

Mitochondrial phylogeographies of five widespread Eurasian bird species

“…The Caucasus and southeastern Asia, with milder glacial climates (Adams and Faure 1997), might have served as refugial sites for the other two clades. Similar refugial sites were suggested for the common rosefinch (Pavlova et al 2005a) and the white wagtail (Pavlova et al 2005b). In sum, this species appears to have had a relatively complex Pleistocene history.…”

Phylogeography of the Eurasian green woodpecker (Picus viridis)

“…It is worth pointing out that we included individuals sampled in the Caspian/Caucasian region of Krasnodar, where highly differentiated populations of birds have been described (Drovetski et al. , 2004; Hewitt, 2004; Pavlova et al. , 2005; Hansson et al.…”