The complete phylogeny of Pseudobulweria, the most endangered seabird genus: systematics, species status and conservation implications

Abstract

International audiencePseudobulweria is one of the least known and most endangered of all seabird genera. It comprises six taxa, of which two are extinct, three are critically endangered and one is near threatened. Phylogenetic relationships between these taxa and position of the genus in the Order Procellariiformes have never been studied, and the taxonomic status of several taxa remains unsettled. Conservation management of Pseudobulweria taxa will be enhanced if these uncertainties are resolved. We used a multilocus gene tree approach with two mitochondrial DNA markers (cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 and cytochrome b gene) and one nuclear intron (b Fibrinogen intron 7) to investigate phylogenetic relationships within the genus using sequences from all taxa. We combined gene trees to estimate a phylogeny of the genus using a multispecies coalescent methodology. We confirmed the link between Pseudobulweria and a clade comprising Puffinus and Bulweria genera. The Fiji petrel's status, as belonging to the genus, is confirmed, as is the specific status of newly rediscovered Beck's petrel. Maintenance of the two subspecies of Tahiti petrel as currently described is not supported. Discovering the breeding grounds of all taxa is the key for their conservation, which is vital to both the marine and fragile insular tropical ecosystems where Pseudobulweria are apical predators

The evolution of north‐east Atlantic gadfly petrels using statistical phylogeography

“…; Gangloff et al . ) rather than universal primers, which is supposed to reduce the risk of Numts amplification (Sorenson & Quinn ). In addition, cytb sequences obtained were similar to those obtained with the same taxon previously (Zino et al .…”

Phylogenetic relationships of the extinct St Helena petrel,Pterodroma rupinarum Olson, 1975 (Procellariiformes: Procellariidae), based on ancient DNA

“…Overall, the topology recovered here is generally in agreement with other molecular analyses of Procellariidae (Fig. ; Nunn & Stanley, ; Austin et al ., ; Penhallurick & Wink, ; Jesus et al ., ; Gangloff et al ., ). In general the cytochrome b gene provides poor resolution for deeper nodes beyond the level of genus.…”

“…Within Pseudobulweria , relationships were largely unresolved, and further analyses are particularly needed to determine subspecific relationships and taxonomic status within the Tahiti petrel ( Ps. rostrata ; Gangloff et al ., ). Support was also strong for the branch leading to Pterodroma (PP 1.0; BS 100).…”

“…Using sequences available in the GenBank database all extant Pseudobulweria petrels were included in the phylogeny. One additional extinct taxon potentially belonging to that genus remains to be described (Gangloff et al ., ). Cytochrome b sequences > 600 bp were not available for seven Pacific taxa: Pterodroma alba (Gmelin, 1789), Pterodroma atrata (Mathews, 1912), Pterodroma brevipes (Peale, 1848), Pterodroma cervicalis (Salvin, 1891), Pterodroma defilippiana (Giglioli & Salvadori, 1869), Pterodroma leucoptera (Gould, 1844), and Pterodroma pycrofti Falla, 1933, none of which are thought to belong in the same clade as the Atlantic taxa that grouped with Pt.…”

“…The Indo‐Pacific genus Pseudobulweria contains four extant species: Pseudobulweria rostrata (Peale, 1848), Pseudobulweria becki (Murphy 1928), Pseudobulweria aterrima (Bonaparte, 1857), and Pseudobulweria macgillivrayi (Gray, 1860). These are among the most endangered of procellariiforms, with three out of four of the species considered critically endangered, being known only from a handful of museum specimens, and often having been feared extinct for many years (Attié, Stahl & Bretagnolle, ; Shirihai, ; Shirihai et al ., ; Gangloff et al ., ).…”