Sequences of the cytochrome b gene and genotypes from 11 polymorphic
microsatellite loci were used to assess phylogeographic variation in ferruginous
pygmy-owls (Glaucidium brasilianum) from Arizona, Mexico, and Texas. Analysis of
mtDNA indicated that pygmy-owl populations in Arizona and Texas are unique, with no
shared haplotypes. Populations from Sonora and Sinaloa, Mexico, were distinct from
remaining populations in Mexico and grouped closest to haplotypes in Arizona. Nested
clade analysis of mtDNA sequence data indicated past fragmentation separated
pygmy-owls into two major groups: 1) Arizona, Sonora and Sinaloa, Mexico, and 2)
southwestern (Nayarit and Michoacan), south-central (Oaxaca and Chiapas), and eastern
Mexico, along the eastern slope of the Sierra Madre Oriental from Texas to Central
America. In addition, analysis of mtDNA variation in several species of Glaucidium
support the recommendation that populations of G. brasilianum from Mexico, Texas,
and Arizona represent a phylogenetically distinct group from populations occurring in
South America. The level of separation between the North and South Americanpopulations justifies granting species status (G. ridgwayi) to the North American
population. Analysis of distance matrices derived from genotypes of 11 polymorphic
microsatellite loci supports restricted gene flow between pygmy-owl populations in
Arizona-Sonora and Sinaloa, and Texas-Tamaulipas and the remainder of states in
Mexico. The Arizona-Sonora population showed signs of a recent genetic bottleneck, an
observation supported by low population estimates for Arizona (13-117 individuals).
Heterozygosity in Arizona, however, was equal to levels recorded throughout Mexico
and Texas. Congruent patterns revealed by both mtDNA and nuclear DNA
(microsatellites) indicate Arizona and Texas populations are distinct subspecies that
require the design and implementation of separate management plans for recovery and
conservation efforts.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:tamu.edu/oai:repository.tamu.edu:1969.1/3978 |
| Date | 16 August 2006 |
| Creators | Proudfoot, Glenn Arthur |
| Contributors | Honeycutt, Rodney L., Slack, R. Douglas |
| Publisher | Texas A&M University |
| Source Sets | Texas A and M University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Book, Thesis, Electronic Dissertation, text |
| Format | 1398932 bytes, electronic, application/pdf, born digital |
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