Genetic divergence between isolated populations of the North Island New Zealand Rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris granti) implicates ancient biogeographic impacts rather than recent habitat fragmentation

Sarah J Withers; Stuart Parsons; Mark E Hauber; Alistair Kendrick; Shane D Lavery

doi:10.1002/ece3.7358

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Genetic divergence between isolated populations of the North Island New Zealand Rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris granti) implicates ancient biogeographic impacts rather than recent habitat fragmentation

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Genetic divergence between isolated populations of the North Island New Zealand Rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris granti) implicates ancient biogeographic impacts rather than recent habitat fragmentation

Sarah J Withers, Stuart Parsons, Mark E Hauber, Alistair Kendrick and Shane D Lavery

Ecology and Evolution, Vol.11(11), pp.5998-6014

2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7358

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Abstract

Acanthisitta chloris granti

biogeography

Cockayne's Line

genetic divergence

Passerine

phylogeography

Rifleman

Taupo Line

This research investigates the extent and causal mechanisms of genetic population divergence in a poorly flighted passerine, the North Island Rifleman or Titipounamu (Acanthisitta chloris granti). While this species has a historically widespread distribution, anthropogenic forest clearance has resulted in a highly fragmented current distribution. We conducted analyses of mitochondrial DNA (COI and Control Region) and 12 nuclear DNA microsatellites to test for population divergence and estimate times of divergence. DiyAbc and BioGeoBears were then used to assess likely past dispersal scenarios based on both mtDNA and nDNA. The results reveal several significantly divergent lineages across the North Island of New Zealand and indicate that some populations have been isolated for extensive periods of time (0.7–4.9 mya). Modeling indicated a dynamic history of population connectivity, with a drastic restriction in gene flow between three geographic regions, followed by a more recent re-establishment of connectivity. Our analyses indicate the dynamic influence of key geological and climatological events on the distribution of genetic diversity in this species, including support for the genetic impact of old biogeographic boundaries such as the Taupo Line and Cockayne's Line, rather than recent anthropogenic habitat fragmentation. These findings present a rare example of an avian species with a genetic history more like that of flightless taxa and so provide new general insights into vicariant processes affecting populations of passerines with limited dispersal.

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Title: Genetic divergence between isolated populations of the North Island New Zealand Rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris granti) implicates ancient biogeographic impacts rather than recent habitat fragmentation
Authors: Sarah J Withers (Corresponding Author) - University of Auckland
Stuart Parsons (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
Mark E Hauber (Author) - University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
Alistair Kendrick (Author) - University of Auckland
Shane D Lavery (Author) - University of Auckland
Publication details: Ecology and Evolution, Vol.11(11), pp.5998-6014; 17
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Date published: 2021
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7358
ISSN: 2045-7758
Copyright note: © 2021 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99575107502621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Ecology; Evolutionary Biology