Population structure in an endangered songbird: maintenance of genetic differentiation despite high vagility and significant population recovery

Black-capped vireos (Vireo atricapilla), an endangered, migratory species dependent upon early successional habitat, have experienced significant recovery since its protection. In light of its vagility and known increase in population size and range, limited genetic differentiation would be expected...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular ecology 2008-08, Vol.17 (16), p.3628-3639
Main Authors: BARR, KELLY R, LINDSAY, DENISE L, ATHREY, GIRI, LANCE, RICHARD F, HAYDEN, TIMOTHY J, TWEDDALE, SCOTT A, LEBERG, PAUL L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alleles
Animal Migration
Animals
Birds
black-capped vireos
DNA - genetics
Ecology
Ecosystem
Endangered & extinct species
endangered species
Gene Flow
Genetic Variation
Genetics, Population
Linkage Disequilibrium
Microsatellite Repeats
microsatellites
Molecular biology
Population Density
Population genetics
recovering populations
Songbirds - genetics
United States
Vireo
Vireo atricapilla
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Summary:Black-capped vireos (Vireo atricapilla), an endangered, migratory species dependent upon early successional habitat, have experienced significant recovery since its protection. In light of its vagility and known increase in population size and range, limited genetic differentiation would be expected in the species. Using 15 microsatellite loci and an extensive sampling regime, we detected significant overall genetic differentiation (FST = 0.021) and high interpopulation differentiation compared to other migratory birds. Although proximate sites (separated by < 20 km) tended to be genetically similar, there was no apparent association of either geographical distance or landscape attributes with differentiation between sites. Evidence of a population bottleneck was also detected in a site located near other large concentrations of birds. Although black-capped vireos are capable of large-scale movements and the population has experienced a recent expansion, dispersal appears too insufficient to eliminate the genetic differentiation resulting from restricted colonization of ephemeral habitats.
ISSN:0962-1083
1365-294X
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2008.03868.x