Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Variability And Genetic Structure Of The Montezuma Quail Cyrtonyx Montezumae In The Northern Limit Of Its Distribution, Eduardo Sánchez Murrieta, Alberto Macías-Duarte, Reyna A. Castillo-Gámez, Angel B. Montoya, Alejandro Varela-Romero, Nohelia G. Pacheco Hoyos

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

A species’ geographic distribution of genetic variability is influenced by different factors including size of geographic distribution, dispersal capability, mating system, and migration. For instance, a low migration rate among populations may cause a decrease in genetic variation. Such is the case of the Montezuma quail (Cyrtonyx montezumae), a popular game bird with a limited flight capacity that prevents long-distance dispersal. In the northern limit of the species’ distribution in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas in the United States, the species inhabits oak forests that are separated from one another by deserts. Consequently, Montezuma quail populations are distributed …