Phylogeography, pre-zygotic isolation and taxonomic status in the endemic Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca

Abstract

The insular endemic Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca has been considered as a subspecies of Pied Wheatear O. pleschanka. However, due to several differences in behaviour, habitat selection and morphology, it is currently treated by most authors as an independent species. Here, we used mitochondrial nucleotide sequences of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene (679 base pairs), playback experiments and dummy presentations to assess the status of O. cypriaca. For the playback experiments we used the conspecific song, and heterospecific songs of the two subspecies of Black-eared Wheatear O. hispanica hispanica and O. hispanica melanoleuca, O. pleschanka, and Finsch's Wheatear O. finschii. Experimental dummy presentations included O. cypriaca, O. pleschanka and a dark and light morph of O. h. melanoleuca. O. cypriaca responded significantly stronger towards the conspecific model and towards conspecific playbacks than towards heterospecific stimuli. ML and BI analyses support the close relationship between O. cypriaca, O. pleschanka and O. h. melanoleuca. With a relative high posterior probability value (0.98), O. cypriaca clusters closer to O. h. melanoleuca from Iran and Israel (on migration) and O. pleschanka from Iran than to O. pleschanka obtained from Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and wintering areas in East Africa (Kenya). The scenario suggests that O. cypriaca might be either a relatively young taxon, which is yet behavioural distinct, but genetically still similar to its sister populations on the mainland. Alternatively, we may assume a close relationship as an indication for potential ongoing hybridisation processes involving all three forms.

Parallel plumage colour evolution and introgressive hybridization in wheatears

“…However, a scenario of introgression from pied into Cyprus wheatear (or its common ancestor with eastern black‐eared wheatear) cannot be completely dismissed. First, mitochondrial lineages are shared between all but western black‐eared wheatears (Alaei Kakhki et al., ; Randler et al., ). Second, proportions of introgression inferred from pied into eastern black‐eared wheatear are twice the potential ones among western and eastern black‐eared wheatears (Table ).…”

Phylogeography of theOenanthe hispanica-pleschanka-cypriacacomplex (Aves, Muscicapidae: Saxicolinae): Diversification history of open-habitat specialists based on climate niche models, genetic data, and morphometric data

“…() and Randler et al. () also found high levels of divergence between O. h. hispanica and the other members of the O. hispanica‐pleschanka‐cypriaca . While the multilocus analyses of Aliabadian et al.…”

“…() were only based on one individual per taxon, Randler et al. () used more samples, but their phylogenetic hypothesis was based on just one mtDNA marker ( COI ). The diversification among members of this complex started at around 1.7 MYA.…”

“…The radiation among Oenanthe species was initiated in the Horn of Africa in the late Miocene (at around 6.5 million years ago (MYA)) and continued through the Pliocene and Pleistocene (Alaei Kakhki et al., ). One controversial group in this genus is the O. hispanica–pleschanka–cypriaca complex (Aliabadian et al., ; Randler et al., ). It comprises the Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Black‐eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica (Linnaeus, 1758), the Middle Eastern and Central Asian Pied Wheatear Oenanthe pleschanka (Lepechin, 1770), and the Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca (Homeyer, 1884).…”

“…() and Randler et al. (). Interestingly, no consistent differences in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were found between O. h. melanoleuca , O. cypriaca, and O. pleschanka, whereas O. h. hispanica was revealed as the sister group to the latter clade.…”