Two South-East Asian passerines belonging to the Family Paradoxornithidae, Paradoxornis webbianus (Gould, 1852) and Paradoxornis alphonsianus (Verreaux, 1870), have now settled in the Palude Brabbia Natural Reserve (Italy – VA) due to an accidental release of 150 specimens in 1995. Nowadays this population is naturalized and it includes thousands of individuals distributed in a range of few kilometers around the introduction locality. Even if the Italian bird-list accounts for P. webbianus and P. alphonsianus as separated species, the controversial systematic of Paradoxornithidae makes their taxonomical characterization uncertain. At a morphological level, P. webbianus and P. alphonsianus mainly differ in plumage color and pattern of breast and head although several intermediate morphs have been described in their natural range of distribution. Molecular analyses based on mitochondrial markers (Cyt-b, CoxI, 12S rDNA e 16S rDNA) have been performed to reveal genetic differences between these taxa and to clarify phylogeographic relationships among individuals from the Italian naturalized and original Chinese populations. Results show an almost complete molecular similarity between P. webbianus and P. alphonsianus, thus supporting the synonymisation of the two taxa. Moreover, the analyses of Chinese samples lead to the identification of two separated and partially sympatric genetic lineages, not related to any of the morphologically-identified subspecies recovered during our sampling campaigns. The patterns of haplotype variability among the investigated sampling sites (in Italy and People’s Republic of China) suggest the likely provenance of that flock of founders introduced in Italy from a single Chinese locality (where the two taxa live in sympatry) rather than from different localities as previously hypothesized.
Molecular tools help resolving a taxonomic anigma: the case of Paradoxornis webbianus and Paradoxornis alphonisianus (Aves: Paradoxornithidae)
Bellati A;
2010-01-01
Abstract
Two South-East Asian passerines belonging to the Family Paradoxornithidae, Paradoxornis webbianus (Gould, 1852) and Paradoxornis alphonsianus (Verreaux, 1870), have now settled in the Palude Brabbia Natural Reserve (Italy – VA) due to an accidental release of 150 specimens in 1995. Nowadays this population is naturalized and it includes thousands of individuals distributed in a range of few kilometers around the introduction locality. Even if the Italian bird-list accounts for P. webbianus and P. alphonsianus as separated species, the controversial systematic of Paradoxornithidae makes their taxonomical characterization uncertain. At a morphological level, P. webbianus and P. alphonsianus mainly differ in plumage color and pattern of breast and head although several intermediate morphs have been described in their natural range of distribution. Molecular analyses based on mitochondrial markers (Cyt-b, CoxI, 12S rDNA e 16S rDNA) have been performed to reveal genetic differences between these taxa and to clarify phylogeographic relationships among individuals from the Italian naturalized and original Chinese populations. Results show an almost complete molecular similarity between P. webbianus and P. alphonsianus, thus supporting the synonymisation of the two taxa. Moreover, the analyses of Chinese samples lead to the identification of two separated and partially sympatric genetic lineages, not related to any of the morphologically-identified subspecies recovered during our sampling campaigns. The patterns of haplotype variability among the investigated sampling sites (in Italy and People’s Republic of China) suggest the likely provenance of that flock of founders introduced in Italy from a single Chinese locality (where the two taxa live in sympatry) rather than from different localities as previously hypothesized.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
