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Radiation and species limits in the Asian Pallas’s warbler complex (Phylloscopus proregulus s.l.)* - Journal of Ornithology

  • ️Veith, Michael
  • ️Thu Jun 17 2004

Abstract

Pallas’s Warbler (Phylloscopus proregulus) of the Eastern Palaearctic (Siberia, China, Himalayas) resolves into a complex of four closely related but distinct allospecies forming a superspecies, P. [proregulus]. Assignment of species rank is based on cytochrome-b gene sequences and on vocalisations (territorial song and calls). Morphological divergence is poor, as is typical in Phylloscopus. It applies to size (nominate Siberian proregulus as opposed to the Sino-Himalayan taxa), and slight coloration differences among the latter taxa do not correspond to the cyt-b topology and are considered to be adaptive. Vocal differences relate to syntax (verse song vs endless song), frequency (broad vs narrow bandwidth, allocation of elements within the frequency band), form of elements (ascending vs descending parts, combination of these), and repertoire size. Strong premating isolating mechanisms are assigned to vocalisations. Contrary to current taxonomy, we propose the following constituent taxa of the Phylloscopus [proregulus] complex: Phylloscopus proregulus s.str. (Siberia, disjunct from the following taxa), P. kansuensis (China: Gansu, Qinghai), P. forresti (W/SW China, part of E Himalayas?), P. chloronotus with two subspecies: P. c. simlaensis (W Himalayas), and P. c. chloronotus (C and E Himalayas). Contact zones and possible hybridisation between the Sino-Himalayan taxa remain undetermined. A closely related isospecies is Phylloscopus yunnanensis (syn. P. sichuanensis), which is locally sympatric with and extremely similar morphologically to P. forresti and P. kansuensis. Cyt-b distance values range from 3.1% to 4.6% within the P. proregulus complex and from 7.5% to 8.4% between the latter and P. yunnanensis. This corresponds to differentiation times of 4.1 to 5.5 Myears (P. proregulus complex vs P. yunnanensis) and 1.7 to 3.2 Myears (within the P. proregulus complex).

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Acknowledgements

This paper results from a multitude of expeditions to Nepal, China and Siberia occurring within the last 34 years (1969–2002), on which J.M. collected vocalisations, blood/tissue samples and voucher specimens of Phylloscopus warblers. Additional tissue samples were provided by M. Fischer, H. Grimm and A.A. Nazarenko and tape-recordings by S. Ernst, M. Päckert, P. Singh and B. Veprintsev. D. Plath accompanied J.M. to Nepal in 1973, A. Ausobsky and B. Frühbeis in 1980, W. Schawaller in 1988 and 1995, G. Geduldig in 1988, P. Kessler in 2001, S.I. Golovatch, A.A. Nazarenko and O.P. Valchuk to the Russian Far East in 1990, A. Gebauer and M. Kaiser to China in 1996 and 1998, C. Fischer, P. Jäger and J.M.’s wife Beate to China in 1997, Sun Yue-Hua and Fang Yun in China in 1999, 2000 and 2002 and D.T.T. and Bi Zhonglin in 2002. Prof. Dr. Jiang Zhigang made it possible for J.M., D.T.T. and Sun Yue-Hua to participate in the expedition into the Longxi-Hongkou conservation area near Dujiangyan, Sichuan. Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Feldbausch-Stiftung and Wagner-Stiftung, both at Fachbereich Biologie of Mainz University, Vereinigung “Freunde der Universität Mainz”, Forschungskommission of Deutsche Ornithologen-Gesellschaft (East Asia grants to J.M., A. Gebauer and M. Kaiser) and Gesellschaft für Tropenornithologie provided travel funds. Authorities of the Chinese Academy of Sciences helped to organise the travels within China. M. Päckert commented on an earlier draft of the manuscript. Many cordial thanks are due to all friends, colleagues and organisations mentioned.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institut für Zoologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität, 55099, Mainz, Germany

    Jochen Martens, Dieter Thomas Tietze & Michael Veith

  2. Staatliche Naturhistorische Sammlungen Dresden, Museum für Tierkunde, Königsbrücker Landstraße 159, 01109, Dresden, Germany

    Siegfried Eck

Authors

  1. Jochen Martens

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  2. Dieter Thomas Tietze

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  3. Siegfried Eck

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  4. Michael Veith

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Correspondence to Jochen Martens.

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Communicated by A. Helbig

*Results of the Himalaya Expeditions of J. Martens, No. 247. – For No. 246 see: Ann Zool Warszawa, 2004.

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Martens, J., Tietze, D.T., Eck, S. et al. Radiation and species limits in the Asian Pallas’s warbler complex (Phylloscopus proregulus s.l.)*. J Ornithol 145, 206–222 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-004-0042-9

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  • Received: 18 March 2004

  • Revised: 28 April 2004

  • Accepted: 29 April 2004

  • Published: 17 June 2004

  • Issue Date: July 2004

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-004-0042-9

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