There may be more bird species in the tropics than we know
Study suggests many isolated bird populations merit species status

Date:
November 17, 2021
Source:
Cornell University
Summary:
Study of a perky little bird suggests there may be far more avian
species in the tropics than those identified so far. After a
genetic study of the White-crowned Manakin, scientists say it's
not just one species and one of the main drivers of its diversity
is the South American landscape and its history of change.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Study of a perky little bird suggests there may be far more avian species
in the tropics than those identified so far. After a genetic study of
the White- crowned Manakin, scientists say it's not just one species and
one of the main drivers of its diversity is the South American landscape
and its history of change. These results are published in the journal
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.


==========================================================================
"We found that the White-crowned Manakin probably originated in the
highland forests of the Andes Mountains in northern Peru," explains
lead author Jacob Berv. "Today, this bird is also found across the
Amazon Basin, in the lowland rainforests of Brazil, Peru, and many
other countries, including parts of Central America." Berv conducted
this research while a Ph.D. student at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology
and is currently a Life Sciences Fellow at the University of Michigan.

"This study shows that there is a lot of evolutionary history embedded
in what is commonly referred to as a 'single widespread' species in
Amazonia," says co- author Camila Ribas at Brazil's National Institute
of Amazonian Research. "The White-crowned Manakin is an example of a
phenomenon that is probably more the rule than the exception in Amazonia
-- diversity is vastly underestimated by the current taxonomy." Around
2.5 million years ago, populations of this manakin species expanded out of
the Andes, though many populations remain there today. Those that moved eventually became isolated in pockets of habitat defined by mountains,
plains, rivers, and climate. Over the course of time, White-crowned
Manakin populations evolved independently, accumulating differences in
their songs and plumage patterns. Study authors suggest many of these
pocket populations are now different enough from one another that they
should be recognized as separate species. This is especially true if the variations in song make it unlikely that isolated populations would be
able to recognize one another and breed - - the biological definition
of a species.

"In order to understand evolutionary processes in Amazonia we need many
more studies like this one, with dense geographical sampling," Ribas
says. "For this we need to support biological collections that are able
to accumulate samples through time." Study authors say underestimating
the number of species in South America has important consequences for conservation, especially for endemic species threatened by ongoing loss
of habitat.

"We've basically just scratched the surface," notes Berv. "If
what holds true for this species is indicative of what's
taking place in other poorly studied species, then we have hugely underestimated the amount of biodiversity in the South American tropics." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Cornell_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Jacob S. Berv, Leonardo Campagna, Teresa J. Feo, Ivandy
Castro-Astor,
Camila C. Ribas, Richard O. Prum, Irby J. Lovette. Genomic
phylogeography of the White-crowned Manakin Pseudopipra pipra
(Aves: Pipridae) illuminates a continental-scale radiation out
of the Andes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2021; 164:
107205 DOI: 10.1016/ j.ympev.2021.107205 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211117100131.htm

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