The stone curlew Burhinus oedicnemus (Linnaeus 1758) is a species of conservation concern in Europe, with an overall declining trend throughout most of its native distribution in this continent. Actually, Europe hosts between a quarter and a half of the global breeding population, which is mainly distributed in Iberia, France, Russia, Turkey and Italy. According to morphological studies, the species is polytypic, with six subspecies. The Mediterranean populations are considered belonging to two forms, namely the nominate subspecies (western populations: Spain, France, continental Italy) and saharae (North Africa, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and smaller Mediterranean islands), although no clear-cut boundary between saharae and nominate oedicnemus can be identified. While genetics may offer important information for conservation and management plans, up to now no molecular studies have been carried out to delineate subspecies' ranges of the stone curlew. To clarify if the present-day subspecies designations or population boundaries are supported by genetic data, we investigated the levels of molecular differentiation using two gene mtDNA fragments, Cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase 2. Sequences from the two genes were analyzed from Italy (Sicily and Taro River Regional Park, PR), Tunisia and Greece (Crete and Rodhes), covering oedicnemus and saharae subspecies, and from Canary Islands (Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria), insularum and distinctus subspecies. The mtDNA data did not support current boundary limits neither between the first two above mentioned subspecies, nor between the two Canary Island ones. In contrast, there was more genetic distance among Tunisian samples and all the other studied populations. Surprisingly, Greek and Canary samples versus Italian populations showed less levels of divergences. While preliminary, our data suggest the need of an in depth genetic investigation of the species to shed some light on its complex taxonomy and phylogeography.
Molecular investigation and characterization of subspecies in the stone curlew Burhinus oecdinemus L
Baratti Mariella;
2011
Abstract
The stone curlew Burhinus oedicnemus (Linnaeus 1758) is a species of conservation concern in Europe, with an overall declining trend throughout most of its native distribution in this continent. Actually, Europe hosts between a quarter and a half of the global breeding population, which is mainly distributed in Iberia, France, Russia, Turkey and Italy. According to morphological studies, the species is polytypic, with six subspecies. The Mediterranean populations are considered belonging to two forms, namely the nominate subspecies (western populations: Spain, France, continental Italy) and saharae (North Africa, Cyprus, Turkey, Greece and smaller Mediterranean islands), although no clear-cut boundary between saharae and nominate oedicnemus can be identified. While genetics may offer important information for conservation and management plans, up to now no molecular studies have been carried out to delineate subspecies' ranges of the stone curlew. To clarify if the present-day subspecies designations or population boundaries are supported by genetic data, we investigated the levels of molecular differentiation using two gene mtDNA fragments, Cytochrome b and NADH dehydrogenase 2. Sequences from the two genes were analyzed from Italy (Sicily and Taro River Regional Park, PR), Tunisia and Greece (Crete and Rodhes), covering oedicnemus and saharae subspecies, and from Canary Islands (Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria), insularum and distinctus subspecies. The mtDNA data did not support current boundary limits neither between the first two above mentioned subspecies, nor between the two Canary Island ones. In contrast, there was more genetic distance among Tunisian samples and all the other studied populations. Surprisingly, Greek and Canary samples versus Italian populations showed less levels of divergences. While preliminary, our data suggest the need of an in depth genetic investigation of the species to shed some light on its complex taxonomy and phylogeography.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
