Taxonomy based on limited genomic markers may underestimate species diversity of rockhopper penguins and threaten their conservation

• Autores: Frugone, María José; Cole, Theresa L.; López, María Eugenia; Clucas, Gemma; Matos Maraví, Pável; Lois, Nicolás Alejandro; Pistorius, Pierre; Bonadonna, Francesco; Trathan, Phil; Polanowski, Andrea; Wienecke, Barbara; Raya Rey, Andrea Nélida; Pütz, Klemens; Steinfurth, Antje; Bi, Ke; Wang Claypool, Cynthia Y.; Waters, Jonathan M.; Bowie, Rauri C. K.; Poulin, Elie; Vianna, Juliana A.
• Año de publicación: 2021
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: EUDYPTES; GENOMICS; ROCKHOPPER PENGUINS; SPECIES DELIMITATION
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

Aim: Delimiting recently diverged species is challenging. During speciation, genetic differentiation may be distributed unevenly across the genome, as different genomic regions can be subject to different selective pressures and evolutionary histories. Reliance on limited numbers of genetic markers that may be underpowered can make species delimitation even more challenging, potentially resulting in taxonomic inconsistencies. Rockhopper penguins of the genus Eudyptes comprise three broadly recognized taxa: northern (E. moseleyi), southern (E. chrysocome) and eastern rockhopper (E. filholi). Their taxonomic status has been controversial for decades, with researchers disagreeing about whether E. chrysocome and E. filholi are distinct species or conspecific. Our goal is to evaluate genome-wide patterns of divergence to evaluate genetic differentiation and species delimitation in rockhopper penguins, and to assess which mechanisms may underlie previous discordance among nuclear versus mitochondrial analyses. Location: Sub-Antarctic and temperate coastal regions of the Southern Hemisphere. Methods: We generated reduced-representation genomic libraries using double digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing to evaluate genetic differentiation, contemporary migration rates and admixture among colonies of rockhopper penguins. Results: The extent of genetic differentiation among the three taxa was consistently higher than population-level genetic differentiation found within these and other penguin species. There was no evidence of admixture among the three taxa, suggesting the absence of ongoing gene flow among them. Species delimitation analyses based on molecular data, along with other lines of evidence, provide strong support for the taxonomic distinction of three species of rockhopper penguins. Main conclusions: Our results provide strong support for the existence of three distinct species of rockhopper penguins. The recognition of this taxonomic diversity is crucial for the management and conservation of this widely distributed species group. This study illustrates that widespread dispersive seabird lineages lacking obvious morphological differences may nevertheless have complex evolutionary histories and comprise cryptic species diversity.
Fil: Frugone, María José. Universidad de Chile; Chile
Fil: Cole, Theresa L.. Universidad de Copenhagen; Dinamarca
Fil: López, María Eugenia. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Suecia
Fil: Clucas, Gemma. Cornell University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Matos Maraví, Pável. Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences; República Checa
Fil: Lois, Nicolás Alejandro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentina
Fil: Pistorius, Pierre. Nelson Mandela University; Sudáfrica
Fil: Bonadonna, Francesco. Université Montpellier II; Francia
Fil: Trathan, Phil. No especifíca;
Fil: Polanowski, Andrea. No especifíca;
Fil: Wienecke, Barbara. No especifíca;
Fil: Raya Rey, Andrea Nélida. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; Argentina
Fil: Pütz, Klemens. No especifíca;
Fil: Steinfurth, Antje. University of Cape Town; Sudáfrica
Fil: Bi, Ke. University of California at Berkeley; Estados Unidos
Fil: Wang Claypool, Cynthia Y.. University of California at Berkeley; Estados Unidos
Fil: Waters, Jonathan M.. University of Otago; Nueva Zelanda
Fil: Bowie, Rauri C. K.. University of California at Berkeley; Estados Unidos
Fil: Poulin, Elie. Universidad de Chile; Chile
Fil: Vianna, Juliana A.. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile. Universidad Católica de Chile; Chile