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University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Birds--Speciation

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Full-Text Articles in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

The Taxonomic Rank Of Spizella Taverneri: A Response To Mayr And Johnson, John Klicka, Robert M. Zink, Jon C. Barlow, W. Bruce Mcgillivray, Terry J. Doyle May 2001

The Taxonomic Rank Of Spizella Taverneri: A Response To Mayr And Johnson, John Klicka, Robert M. Zink, Jon C. Barlow, W. Bruce Mcgillivray, Terry J. Doyle

Ornithology Program (HRC)

Mayr and Johnson suggest that Spizella taverneri should be a subspecies of the biological species S. breweri, because it is possibly not reproductively isolated. We originally concluded that evidence from mitochondrial DNA sequences, habitat preferences, timing of breeding, vocalizations, and morphology supported the recognition of S. taverneri as a phylogenetic and biological species. Nothing in the commentary by Mayr and Johnson causes us to change that conclusion. We believe that it is probable that these two allopatric taxa are isolated. Contrary to Mayr and Johnson, we believe that more information is given by ranking S. taverneri as a species, because …


Recolonization Of The Flicker And Other Notes From Isla Guadalupe, Mexico, Paul R. Sweet, George F. Barrrowclough, John Klicka, Liliana Montanez-Godoy, Patricia Escalante Jan 2001

Recolonization Of The Flicker And Other Notes From Isla Guadalupe, Mexico, Paul R. Sweet, George F. Barrrowclough, John Klicka, Liliana Montanez-Godoy, Patricia Escalante

Ornithology Program (HRC)

During a visit to Isla Guadalupe from 31 May to 3 June 1996, we documented three species new to the island, the Barn Owl, Swainson's Thrush, and Hooded Oriole, and established first breeding records for the European Starling and Western Meadowlark. Red-shafted Flickers are now breeding on the island, representing a recent recolonization from the mainland following the extinction of the endemic population. We investigated the validity of Colaptes auratus rufipileus and concluded that it doesn’t meet the standard for phylogenetic species but differs from C. a. collaris at the 75% level usually associated with subspecific rank. Damage to the …


New World Nine-Primaried Oscine Relationships: Constructing A Molecular Framework, John Klicka, Kevin P. Johnson, Scott M. Lanyon Apr 2000

New World Nine-Primaried Oscine Relationships: Constructing A Molecular Framework, John Klicka, Kevin P. Johnson, Scott M. Lanyon

Ornithology Program (HRC)

Historically, a paucity of comparative morphological characters has led to much debate regarding relationships within and among the major lineages of New World nine-primaried oscines. More recently, DNA-DNA hybridization studies have provided novel and testable hypotheses of relationships, although no consensus has been reached. For 40 songbird taxa, we obtained 1,929 base pairs (bp) of DNA sequence from the mitochondrial cytochrome-b (894 bp) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (1,035 bp) genes. Phylogenetic analyses confirm the monophyly of this assemblage as traditionally defined. The lineages delineated historically on morphological grounds are retained; finches (Fringillinae) are sister to a well-supported clade …


Evolutionary Patterns Of Morphometrics, Allozymes And Mitochondrial Dna In Thrashers (Genus Toxostoma), Robert M. Zink, Donna L. Dittmann, John Klicka, Rachelle C. Blackwell-Rago Oct 1999

Evolutionary Patterns Of Morphometrics, Allozymes And Mitochondrial Dna In Thrashers (Genus Toxostoma), Robert M. Zink, Donna L. Dittmann, John Klicka, Rachelle C. Blackwell-Rago

Ornithology Program (HRC)

We examined patterns of variation in skeletal morphometrics (29 characters), allozymes (34 loci), mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) restriction sites (n = 74) and fragments (n = 395), and mtDNA sequences (1,739 bp from cytochrome b, ND2, ND6, and the control region) among all species of Toxostoma. The phenetic pattern of variation in skeletal morphometrics generally matched traditional taxonomic groupings (based on plumage patterns) with the exceptions of T. redivivum, which because of its large size clusters outside of its proper evolutionary group (lecontei), and T. occelatum, which did not cluster with T. curvirostre. Skull characters contributed highly to species discrimination, suggesting …


Evidence Supporting The Recent Origin And Species Status Of The Timberline Sparrow, John Klicka, Robert M. Zink, Jon C. Barlow, W. Bruce Mcgillivray, Terry J. Doyle Aug 1999

Evidence Supporting The Recent Origin And Species Status Of The Timberline Sparrow, John Klicka, Robert M. Zink, Jon C. Barlow, W. Bruce Mcgillivray, Terry J. Doyle

Ornithology Program (HRC)

The Timberline Sparrow (Spizella taverneri), although originally described as a species, is currently classified as a subspecies of the more widespread Brewer's Sparrow (S. breweri). We investigated the taxonomic status and recent evolutionary history of these species by comparison of both morphological and molecular characters. Morphometric comparisons using 6 external and 18 skeletal measurements show that S. taverneri specimens from two widely separated populations (Yukon and southwestern Alberta, Canada) are indistinguishable with respect to size yet are significantly larger (by 3%) than representatives of several breweri populations. Analysis of 1,413 base pairs of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for 10 breweri and …