Genetic isolation in an endemic African habitat specialist.

ABSTRACT: The Chestnut-banded Plover Charadrius pallidus is a Near-Threatened shorebird species endemic to mainland Africa. We examined levels of genetic differentiation between its two morphologically and geographically distinct subspecies, C. p. pallidus in southern Africa (population size 11 000-16 000) and C. p. venustus in eastern Africa (population size 6500). In contrast to other plover species that maintain genetic connectivity over thousands of kilometres across continental Africa, we found profound genetic differences between remote sampling sites. Phylogenetic network analysis based on four nuclear and two mitochondrial gene regions, and population genetic structure analyses based on 11 microsatellite loci, indicated strong genetic divergence, with 2.36% mitochondrial

SUBMITTER: Dos Remedios N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5606504 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature