Strong phylogeographic structure in a sedentary seabird, the Stewart Island Shag (Leucocarbo chalconotus).

ABSTRACT: New Zealand's endemic Stewart Island Shag (Leucocarbo chalconotus) comprises two regional groups (Otago and Foveaux Strait) that show consistent differentiation in relative frequencies of pied versus dark-bronze morphotypes, the extent of facial carunculation, body size and breeding time. We used modern and ancient DNA (mitochondrial DNA control region one), and morphometric approaches to investigate the phylogeography and taxonomy of L. chalconotus and its closely related sister species, the endemic Chatham Island Shag (L. onslowi). Our analysis shows Leucocarbo shags in southern New Zealand comprise two well-supported clades, each containing both pied and dark-bronze morphs. However, the combined monophyly of these populations is not supported, with the L. chalconotus Otago lineage siste

SUBMITTER: Rawlence NJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3948693 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature