Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Historical diversification of migration patterns in a passerine bird

Perez-Tris, Javier LU ; Bensch, Staffan LU ; Carbonell, R ; Helbig, A J and Telleria, J L (2004) In Evolution 58(8). p.1819-1832
Abstract
Migratory strategies of birds require complex orientation mechanisms, morphological adaptations, and life-history adjustments. From an evolutionary perspective, it is important to know how fast this complex combination of traits can evolve. We analyzed mitochondrial control-region DNA sequences in 241 blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) from 12 populations with different migratory behaviors. The sample included sedentary populations in Europe and Atlantic archipelagos and migratory populations with different distances of migration, from regional to intercontinental migrations, and different heading directions (due to a migratory divide in central Europe). There was no genetic structure between migratory and sedentary populations, or among... (More)
Migratory strategies of birds require complex orientation mechanisms, morphological adaptations, and life-history adjustments. From an evolutionary perspective, it is important to know how fast this complex combination of traits can evolve. We analyzed mitochondrial control-region DNA sequences in 241 blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) from 12 populations with different migratory behaviors. The sample included sedentary populations in Europe and Atlantic archipelagos and migratory populations with different distances of migration, from regional to intercontinental migrations, and different heading directions (due to a migratory divide in central Europe). There was no genetic structure between migratory and sedentary populations, or among populations from different biogeographic areas (Atlantic islands, the Iberian Peninsula, or the continent), however we found evidence of a genetic structure when comparing populations located on either side of the migratory divide. These findings support an independent evolution of highly divergent migratory strategies in blackcaps, occurring after a postglacial colonization of the continent along western and eastern routes. Accordingly, mismatch-distribution analyses suggested an expansion of blackcaps from a very small population size, and time estimates dated such an expansion during the last postglacial period. However, the populations in Gibraltar, located in a putative Mediterranean refuge, appeared to be independent of these processes, showing evidence of restricted gene flow with other populations and demonstrating insignificant historical changes in effective population size. Our results show that the interruption of gene flow between migratory and sedentary populations is not necessary for the maintenance of such a polymorphism, and that even the most divergent migratory strategies of a bird species are susceptible to evolution in response to historical environmental changes. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Evolution
volume
58
issue
8
pages
1819 - 1832
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • pmid:15446433
  • wos:000223583900015
  • scopus:4344689107
ISSN
1558-5646
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f4939eb4-57cd-4d83-8ecb-2ad172aede78 (old id 136904)
alternative location
http://evol.allenpress.com/evolonline/?request=get-abstract&issn=0014-3820&volume=058&issue=08&page=1819
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:50:34
date last changed
2024-04-26 11:31:24
@article{f4939eb4-57cd-4d83-8ecb-2ad172aede78,
  abstract     = {{Migratory strategies of birds require complex orientation mechanisms, morphological adaptations, and life-history adjustments. From an evolutionary perspective, it is important to know how fast this complex combination of traits can evolve. We analyzed mitochondrial control-region DNA sequences in 241 blackcaps (Sylvia atricapilla) from 12 populations with different migratory behaviors. The sample included sedentary populations in Europe and Atlantic archipelagos and migratory populations with different distances of migration, from regional to intercontinental migrations, and different heading directions (due to a migratory divide in central Europe). There was no genetic structure between migratory and sedentary populations, or among populations from different biogeographic areas (Atlantic islands, the Iberian Peninsula, or the continent), however we found evidence of a genetic structure when comparing populations located on either side of the migratory divide. These findings support an independent evolution of highly divergent migratory strategies in blackcaps, occurring after a postglacial colonization of the continent along western and eastern routes. Accordingly, mismatch-distribution analyses suggested an expansion of blackcaps from a very small population size, and time estimates dated such an expansion during the last postglacial period. However, the populations in Gibraltar, located in a putative Mediterranean refuge, appeared to be independent of these processes, showing evidence of restricted gene flow with other populations and demonstrating insignificant historical changes in effective population size. Our results show that the interruption of gene flow between migratory and sedentary populations is not necessary for the maintenance of such a polymorphism, and that even the most divergent migratory strategies of a bird species are susceptible to evolution in response to historical environmental changes.}},
  author       = {{Perez-Tris, Javier and Bensch, Staffan and Carbonell, R and Helbig, A J and Telleria, J L}},
  issn         = {{1558-5646}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{8}},
  pages        = {{1819--1832}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Evolution}},
  title        = {{Historical diversification of migration patterns in a passerine bird}},
  url          = {{http://evol.allenpress.com/evolonline/?request=get-abstract&issn=0014-3820&volume=058&issue=08&page=1819}},
  volume       = {{58}},
  year         = {{2004}},
}