Genetic analyses reveal cryptic introgression in secretive marsh bird populations. Issue 19 (5th September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Coster, Stephanie S.; Welsh, Amy B.; Costanzo, Gary; Harding, Sergio R.; Anderson, James T.; McRae, Susan B.; Katzner, Todd E.
• Is Part Of: Ecology and evolution. Volume 8:Issue 19(2018)
• Page Start: 9870
• Page End: 9879
• Publication Date: 2018-09-05
• Subjects: admixture -- clapper rail -- introgression -- king rail -- Rallus crepitans -- Rallus elegans; Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution -- Periodicals; 577.05
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4472
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-7758

Abstract

Abstract: Hybridization is common in bird populations but can be challenging for management, especially if one of the two parent species is of greater conservation concern than the other. King rails ( Rallus elegans ) and clapper rails ( R. crepitans ) are two marsh bird species with similar morphologies, behaviors, and overlapping distributions. The two species are found along a salinity gradient with the king rail in freshwater marshes and the clapper in estuarine marshes. However, this separation is not absolute; they are occasionally sympatric, and there are reports of interbreeding. In Virginia, USA, both king and clapper rails are identified by the state as Species of Greater Conservation Need, although clappers are thought to be more abundant and king rails have a higher priority ranking. We used a mitochondrial DNA marker and 13 diagnostic nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify species, classify the degree of introgression, and explore the evolutionary history of introgression in two putative clapper rail focal populations along a salinity gradient in coastal Virginia. Genetic analyses revealed cryptic introgression with site‐specific rates of admixture. We identified a pattern of introgression where clapper rail alleles predominate in brackish marshes. These results suggest clapper rails may be displacing king rails in Virginia coastal waterways, most likely as a result of ecological selection. As introgression can result in various outcomes from outbreeding depression to local adaptation, continued monitoring of these populations would allow further exploration of hybrid fitness and inform conservation management. Abstract : We used genetic analyses to identify species and classify the degree of introgression in putative clapper rail populations along a salinity gradient in Virginia, USA. We found evidence of introgression with higher rates of admixture in the population at the less saline site. We explore the role of ecological selection in this system and compare our results to patterns of introgression in other avian species.