Taxonomy and distribution of the imperilled Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus minimus
Gray-cheeked Thrushes breeding on Newfoundland are purported to be a distinct subspecies (Catharus minimus minimus) and have declined precipitously since the 1980s. To assess the validity of Gray-cheeked Thrush subspecies we collected blood samples and morphological measurements from 51 individuals...
Published in: | Avian Conservation and Ecology |
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Language: | English |
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Resilience Alliance
2017
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00976-120110 https://doaj.org/article/98ddabc462a44acb87a18817cc471377 |
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fttriple:oai:gotriple.eu:oai:doaj.org/article:98ddabc462a44acb87a18817cc471377 2023-05-15T17:15:37+02:00 Taxonomy and distribution of the imperilled Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus minimus Alyssa M. FitzGerald Darroch M. Whitaker Joel Ralston Jeremy J. Kirchman Ian G. Warkentin 2017-06-01 https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00976-120110 https://doaj.org/article/98ddabc462a44acb87a18817cc471377 en eng Resilience Alliance 1712-6568 doi:10.5751/ACE-00976-120110 https://doaj.org/article/98ddabc462a44acb87a18817cc471377 undefined Avian Conservation and Ecology, Vol 12, Iss 1, p 10 (2017) distribution endemism genetics habitat hybrid Gray-cheeked Thrush Labrador Newfoundland red squirrel subspecies taxonomy envir geo Journal Article https://vocabularies.coar-repositories.org/resource_types/c_6501/ 2017 fttriple https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00976-120110 2023-01-22T19:30:47Z Gray-cheeked Thrushes breeding on Newfoundland are purported to be a distinct subspecies (Catharus minimus minimus) and have declined precipitously since the 1980s. To assess the validity of Gray-cheeked Thrush subspecies we collected blood samples and morphological measurements from 51 individuals captured at 15 sites in Newfoundland and Labrador (2013-2015). Analysis of mitochondrial (ND2) and nuclear intron (ADAM-TS 6, FIB7) sequences from these and additional samples from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador, Quebec, Alaska, and Siberia showed low genetic variation at both nuclear loci, and shallow mitochondrial divergence between subspecies; there were no shared haplotypes between thrushes from Newfoundland / Nova Scotia (n = 41) and those from western Labrador and further west (n = 24). Thrushes from Newfoundland also had shorter wing chords, tails, and culmens and less black in the mandible compared to those from western Labrador and Quebec. Samples from the southeast coast of Labrador (n = 13) included ND2 haplotypes both from Newfoundland and western Labrador plus one putative hybrid that was phenotypically a Gray-cheeked Thrush but that had a Bicknell's Thrush (C. bicknelli) ND2 haplotype and was heterozygous at a segregating site in FIB7. We detected thrushes during point counts at 7 of 24 sites on Newfoundland, but failed to detect them at 10 historically occupied sites on Newfoundland or in the reported distribution gap between subspecies in Labrador. Sites where thrushes have apparently disappeared had less shrub habitat within 1250 m and more large broadleaf trees within territory-scale areas compared to sites where they persist. Additionally, red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) are an introduced species on Newfoundland and thrush occurrence was > 3x higher at sites where red squirrels were not detected. Our results support previous designations of C. m. minimus from Newfoundland and southeastern Labrador as a subspecies distinct from C. m. aliciae found further west. Article in Journal/Newspaper Newfoundland Alaska Siberia Unknown Newfoundland Avian Conservation and Ecology 12 1 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Unknown |
op_collection_id |
fttriple |
language |
English |
topic |
distribution endemism genetics habitat hybrid Gray-cheeked Thrush Labrador Newfoundland red squirrel subspecies taxonomy envir geo |
spellingShingle |
distribution endemism genetics habitat hybrid Gray-cheeked Thrush Labrador Newfoundland red squirrel subspecies taxonomy envir geo Alyssa M. FitzGerald Darroch M. Whitaker Joel Ralston Jeremy J. Kirchman Ian G. Warkentin Taxonomy and distribution of the imperilled Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus minimus |
topic_facet |
distribution endemism genetics habitat hybrid Gray-cheeked Thrush Labrador Newfoundland red squirrel subspecies taxonomy envir geo |
description |
Gray-cheeked Thrushes breeding on Newfoundland are purported to be a distinct subspecies (Catharus minimus minimus) and have declined precipitously since the 1980s. To assess the validity of Gray-cheeked Thrush subspecies we collected blood samples and morphological measurements from 51 individuals captured at 15 sites in Newfoundland and Labrador (2013-2015). Analysis of mitochondrial (ND2) and nuclear intron (ADAM-TS 6, FIB7) sequences from these and additional samples from Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Labrador, Quebec, Alaska, and Siberia showed low genetic variation at both nuclear loci, and shallow mitochondrial divergence between subspecies; there were no shared haplotypes between thrushes from Newfoundland / Nova Scotia (n = 41) and those from western Labrador and further west (n = 24). Thrushes from Newfoundland also had shorter wing chords, tails, and culmens and less black in the mandible compared to those from western Labrador and Quebec. Samples from the southeast coast of Labrador (n = 13) included ND2 haplotypes both from Newfoundland and western Labrador plus one putative hybrid that was phenotypically a Gray-cheeked Thrush but that had a Bicknell's Thrush (C. bicknelli) ND2 haplotype and was heterozygous at a segregating site in FIB7. We detected thrushes during point counts at 7 of 24 sites on Newfoundland, but failed to detect them at 10 historically occupied sites on Newfoundland or in the reported distribution gap between subspecies in Labrador. Sites where thrushes have apparently disappeared had less shrub habitat within 1250 m and more large broadleaf trees within territory-scale areas compared to sites where they persist. Additionally, red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) are an introduced species on Newfoundland and thrush occurrence was > 3x higher at sites where red squirrels were not detected. Our results support previous designations of C. m. minimus from Newfoundland and southeastern Labrador as a subspecies distinct from C. m. aliciae found further west. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Alyssa M. FitzGerald Darroch M. Whitaker Joel Ralston Jeremy J. Kirchman Ian G. Warkentin |
author_facet |
Alyssa M. FitzGerald Darroch M. Whitaker Joel Ralston Jeremy J. Kirchman Ian G. Warkentin |
author_sort |
Alyssa M. FitzGerald |
title |
Taxonomy and distribution of the imperilled Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus minimus |
title_short |
Taxonomy and distribution of the imperilled Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus minimus |
title_full |
Taxonomy and distribution of the imperilled Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus minimus |
title_fullStr |
Taxonomy and distribution of the imperilled Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus minimus |
title_full_unstemmed |
Taxonomy and distribution of the imperilled Newfoundland Gray-cheeked Thrush, Catharus minimus minimus |
title_sort |
taxonomy and distribution of the imperilled newfoundland gray-cheeked thrush, catharus minimus minimus |
publisher |
Resilience Alliance |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00976-120110 https://doaj.org/article/98ddabc462a44acb87a18817cc471377 |
geographic |
Newfoundland |
geographic_facet |
Newfoundland |
genre |
Newfoundland Alaska Siberia |
genre_facet |
Newfoundland Alaska Siberia |
op_source |
Avian Conservation and Ecology, Vol 12, Iss 1, p 10 (2017) |
op_relation |
1712-6568 doi:10.5751/ACE-00976-120110 https://doaj.org/article/98ddabc462a44acb87a18817cc471377 |
op_rights |
undefined |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.5751/ACE-00976-120110 |
container_title |
Avian Conservation and Ecology |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
1 |
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1766075484360146944 |