Mitochondrial and Next-Generation Sequence Data used to Infer Phylogenetic Relationships and Species Limits in the Clapper/ King Rail Complex

[摘要] Abstract. The family Rallidae is a distinct, species-rich group of birds, many of which are exceptional at long-distance colonization. Six of the ten species in the genus Rallus are distributed in the Americas. Among these, R. longirostris and R. elegans have an interwoven taxonomic history that reflects their weak phenotypic differentiation, the multiplicity of allopatric, morphologically distinct populations, a long zone of secondary contact in the eastern U.S. along which hybridization occurs, and apparent ecological “replacement” of each other in marshes of varying salinity. We used mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences, the latter generated from next-generation sequencing, to infer phylogenetic relationships in the complex from a sample of 70 individuals collected throughout their distribution. Average levels of mitochondrial and nuclear divergence were relatively low (<2%) both within and between the species. The complex is composed of three distinct biogeographic groups: (1) eastern North Americ...

[学科分类] 动物科学

[关键词] ancient DNA;divergence;next-generation sequencing;phylogeny;Rallus longirostris;Rallus elegans;species limits.