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Genetic and morphological variation in Dunlin Calidris alpina breeding in the Palearctic tundra

Wennerberg, Liv LU ; Holmgren, Noel ; Jönsson, Paul-Erik and von Schantz, Torbjörn LU (1999) In Ibis 141(3). p.391-398
Abstract
The extensive overlap in morphological characters between populations of Dunlin Calidris alpina imposes problems of determining the origin of migrating and wintering birds. The morphology of the birds also varies between the sexes, and the sex of a Dunlin may often be difficult to determine. To clarify if mitochondrial DNA can be used to identify which breeding areas migrating Dunlin come from, we investigated the occurrence of different mtDNA haplotypes in Dunlin from eight breeding areas on the Russian and Siberian tundra. Four haplotypes were found and at most sites more than one haplotype occurred. The European haplotype predominated in the area west of the Taymyr Peninsula, the Siberian haplotype in central Siberia (from the Taymyr... (More)
The extensive overlap in morphological characters between populations of Dunlin Calidris alpina imposes problems of determining the origin of migrating and wintering birds. The morphology of the birds also varies between the sexes, and the sex of a Dunlin may often be difficult to determine. To clarify if mitochondrial DNA can be used to identify which breeding areas migrating Dunlin come from, we investigated the occurrence of different mtDNA haplotypes in Dunlin from eight breeding areas on the Russian and Siberian tundra. Four haplotypes were found and at most sites more than one haplotype occurred. The European haplotype predominated in the area west of the Taymyr Peninsula, the Siberian haplotype in central Siberia (from the Taymyr Peninsula to the Lopatka Peninsula) and the Beringian haplotype in eastern Siberia. One individual of an Alaskan haplotype, not detected previously among breeding birds outside North America, was found on Wrangel Island. The sex of each bird was identified genetically and the morphology of males and females was analysed separately. Birds with the European haplotype were generally smaller than birds with the Beringian or Alaskan haplotypes. Birds possessing the Siberian haplotype showed intermediate values in most cases. After compensating for differences between sites, males with the Siberian haplotype had significantly longer bills than males having the European haplotype. Multiple regressions indicate that mitochondrial DNA analysis improves models estimating the breeding origin of migrating Dunlin. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Ibis
volume
141
issue
3
pages
391 - 398
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:0032765822
ISSN
0019-1019
DOI
10.1111/j.1474-919X.1999.tb04408.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3dbc26ca-c58c-4b77-9124-21f3cbe00715 (old id 1747757)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:36:41
date last changed
2022-01-27 07:28:22
@article{3dbc26ca-c58c-4b77-9124-21f3cbe00715,
  abstract     = {{The extensive overlap in morphological characters between populations of Dunlin Calidris alpina imposes problems of determining the origin of migrating and wintering birds. The morphology of the birds also varies between the sexes, and the sex of a Dunlin may often be difficult to determine. To clarify if mitochondrial DNA can be used to identify which breeding areas migrating Dunlin come from, we investigated the occurrence of different mtDNA haplotypes in Dunlin from eight breeding areas on the Russian and Siberian tundra. Four haplotypes were found and at most sites more than one haplotype occurred. The European haplotype predominated in the area west of the Taymyr Peninsula, the Siberian haplotype in central Siberia (from the Taymyr Peninsula to the Lopatka Peninsula) and the Beringian haplotype in eastern Siberia. One individual of an Alaskan haplotype, not detected previously among breeding birds outside North America, was found on Wrangel Island. The sex of each bird was identified genetically and the morphology of males and females was analysed separately. Birds with the European haplotype were generally smaller than birds with the Beringian or Alaskan haplotypes. Birds possessing the Siberian haplotype showed intermediate values in most cases. After compensating for differences between sites, males with the Siberian haplotype had significantly longer bills than males having the European haplotype. Multiple regressions indicate that mitochondrial DNA analysis improves models estimating the breeding origin of migrating Dunlin.}},
  author       = {{Wennerberg, Liv and Holmgren, Noel and Jönsson, Paul-Erik and von Schantz, Torbjörn}},
  issn         = {{0019-1019}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  pages        = {{391--398}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Ibis}},
  title        = {{Genetic and morphological variation in Dunlin Calidris alpina breeding in the Palearctic tundra}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1999.tb04408.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1474-919X.1999.tb04408.x}},
  volume       = {{141}},
  year         = {{1999}},
}