TY - JOUR
T1 - Taxonomic status and evolutionary history of the Saxicola torquata complex
AU - Zink, Robert M.
AU - Pavlova, Alexandra
AU - Drovetski, Sergei
AU - Wink, Michael
AU - Rohwer, Sievert
PY - 2009/9/1
Y1 - 2009/9/1
N2 - We explored variation in mitochondrial ND2 gene sequences from 171 stonechats (Saxicola torquata complex) collected from 27 Eurasian and 3 African localities. We found that two widespread neighboring Eurasian subspecies of Siberian stonechat, Saxicola maura maura and S. m. stejnegeri, although very similar in appearance, are not each other's closest relatives. Eastern Asian S. m. stejnegeri appears to have split from other Palearctic, African, and island stonechats well before differentiation occurred among the latter taxa. Our data indicate that European (S. t. rubicola), central Palearctic (S. m. maura) and eastern Palearctic (S. m. stejnegeri) are independently evolving, and could each warrant separate species status, as assumed earlier for S. rubicola, S. maura and S. torquata. However, we found three localities at which individuals from different major groups occurred. Thus, although these are likely phylogenetic species it is unclear whether they are biological species. There was little phylogeographic structure within the three major Palearctic clades, although samples from Spain might be showing incipient divergence. We maintain that the topology of a mtDNA gene tree is a valid means to discern taxonomic limits.
AB - We explored variation in mitochondrial ND2 gene sequences from 171 stonechats (Saxicola torquata complex) collected from 27 Eurasian and 3 African localities. We found that two widespread neighboring Eurasian subspecies of Siberian stonechat, Saxicola maura maura and S. m. stejnegeri, although very similar in appearance, are not each other's closest relatives. Eastern Asian S. m. stejnegeri appears to have split from other Palearctic, African, and island stonechats well before differentiation occurred among the latter taxa. Our data indicate that European (S. t. rubicola), central Palearctic (S. m. maura) and eastern Palearctic (S. m. stejnegeri) are independently evolving, and could each warrant separate species status, as assumed earlier for S. rubicola, S. maura and S. torquata. However, we found three localities at which individuals from different major groups occurred. Thus, although these are likely phylogenetic species it is unclear whether they are biological species. There was little phylogeographic structure within the three major Palearctic clades, although samples from Spain might be showing incipient divergence. We maintain that the topology of a mtDNA gene tree is a valid means to discern taxonomic limits.
KW - Phylogeography
KW - Species limits
KW - Taxonomy
KW - mtDNA
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=67649945814&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=67649945814&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ympev.2009.05.016
DO - 10.1016/j.ympev.2009.05.016
M3 - Article
C2 - 19464380
AN - SCOPUS:67649945814
SN - 1055-7903
VL - 52
SP - 769
EP - 773
JO - Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
JF - Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
IS - 3
ER -