Identification of Lanius species and subspecies using tandem repeats in the mitochondrial DNA control region

• Published in: Ibis
• Main Authors: Hernández, M. Angeles, Campos, Francisco, Gutiérrez‐Corchero, Francisco, Amezcua, Ana
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2003
• Subjects: Lanius excubitor
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919x.2003.00206.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1474-919x.2003.00206.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1474-919x.2003.00206.x

The number of tandem repeats in the mitochondrial control region were used to differentiate the Red‐backed Shrike Lanius collurio , Woodchat Shrike Lanius senator , Great Grey Shrike (subspecies Lanius excubitor excubitor ) and the Southern Grey Shrike (subspecies L. meridionalis meridionalis , L. m. koenigi, L. m. pallidirostris and L. m. aucheri ). The Red‐backed and Woodchat Shrikes lacked repeats whereas the Great Grey and Southern Grey had two, three and 2 + 3 repeats. A subspecies of Southern Grey ( L. m. koenigi ) had 2 + 3 + 4 repeats. These findings are discussed in terms of the taxonomy of the Lanius genus, especially with respect to the Great Grey and Southern Grey Shrikes.