Extra-renal salt excretion in clapper and king rails

Conway, Gayle L; Hughes, Maryanne R.; Moldenhauer, Ralph R.

doi:10.1016/0300-9629(88)90946-2

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…However, both species are sympatric in transitional zones of intermediate brackish‐salt marshes (Meanley, ; Meanley & Wetherbee, ), and, where they coexist, they may hybridize (Chan, Hill, Maldonado, & Fleischer, ; Meanley & Wetherbee, ). The two species can be differentiated based on subtle variations in morphology (i.e., size, plumage), physiology (i.e., osmoregulation by salt glands), and genetics (i.e., mitochondrial and nuclear DNA) (Chan et al, ; Conway, Hughes, & Moldenhauer, ; Eddleman & Conway, ; Maley & Brumfield, ; Olson, ; Reid, Meanley, & Fredrickson, ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The two species can be differentiated based on subtle variations in morphology (i.e., size, plumage), physiology (i.e., osmoregulation by salt glands), and genetics (i.e., mitochondrial and nuclear DNA) (Chan et al, 2006;Conway, Hughes, & Moldenhauer, 1988;Eddleman & Conway, 1994;Maley & Brumfield, 2013;Olson, 1997;Reid, Meanley, & Fredrickson, 1994).…”

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Quantitative acoustic differentiation of cryptic species illustrated with King and Clapper rails

Stiffler

Schroeder

Anderson

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Reliable species identification is vital for survey and monitoring programs. Recently, the development of digital technology for recording and analyzing vocalizations has assisted in acoustic surveying for cryptic, rare, or elusive species. However, the quantitative tools that exist for species differentiation are still being refined. Using vocalizations recorded in the course of ecological studies of a King Rail (Rallus elegans) and a Clapper Rail (Rallus crepitans) population, we assessed the accuracy and effectiveness of three parametric (logistic regression, discriminant function analysis, quadratic discriminant function analysis) and six nonparametric (support vector machine, CART, Random Forest, k‐nearest neighbor, weighted k‐nearest neighbor, and neural networks) statistical classification methods for differentiating these species by their kek mating call. We identified 480 kek notes of each species and quantitatively characterized them with five standardized acoustic parameters. Overall, nonparametric classification methods outperformed parametric classification methods for species differentiation (nonparametric tools were between 57% and 81% accurate, parametric tools were between 57% and 60% accurate). Of the nine classification methods, Random Forest was the most accurate and precise, resulting in 81.1% correct classification of kek notes to species. This suggests that the mating calls of these sister species are likely difficult for human observers to tell apart. However, it also implies that appropriate statistical tools may allow reasonable species‐level classification accuracy of recorded calls and provide an alternative to species classification where other capture‐ or genotype‐based survey techniques are not possible.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Study Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantitative acoustic differentiation of cryptic species illustrated with King and Clapper rails

Stiffler

Schroeder

Anderson

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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“…The paucity of first‐ and second‐generation hybrids suggests a higher fitness for clapper rails in these populations. Genetic and physical evidence indicate the two species have diverged relative to osmoregulation, with clapper rails having larger salt glands and the ability to excrete salt more quickly at higher concentrations (Conway, Hughes, & Moldenhauer, ; Maley, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic analyses reveal cryptic introgression in secretive marsh bird populations

Coster

Welsh

Costanzo

et al. 2018

Ecology and Evolution

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Hybridization is common in bird populations but can be challenging for management, especially if one of the two parent species is of greater conservation concern than the other. King rails (Rallus elegans) and clapper rails (R. crepitans) are two marsh bird species with similar morphologies, behaviors, and overlapping distributions. The two species are found along a salinity gradient with the king rail in freshwater marshes and the clapper in estuarine marshes. However, this separation is not absolute; they are occasionally sympatric, and there are reports of interbreeding. In Virginia, USA, both king and clapper rails are identified by the state as Species of Greater Conservation Need, although clappers are thought to be more abundant and king rails have a higher priority ranking. We used a mitochondrial DNA marker and 13 diagnostic nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify species, classify the degree of introgression, and explore the evolutionary history of introgression in two putative clapper rail focal populations along a salinity gradient in coastal Virginia. Genetic analyses revealed cryptic introgression with site‐specific rates of admixture. We identified a pattern of introgression where clapper rail alleles predominate in brackish marshes. These results suggest clapper rails may be displacing king rails in Virginia coastal waterways, most likely as a result of ecological selection. As introgression can result in various outcomes from outbreeding depression to local adaptation, continued monitoring of these populations would allow further exploration of hybrid fitness and inform conservation management.

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“…Clapper and king rails are similar in plumage, vocalization, and morphology ( Maley and Brumfield 2013 ), but they exhibit different habitat preferences for saltwater (clapper rail) and freshwater (king rail) wetlands. The internal nasal salt glands of clapper rails are larger than those of king rails, and this adaptation is believed to contribute to the salinity tolerance ( Conway et al . 1988 ) of clapper rails, although salt gland size is known to be a plastic trait that varies based on the water salinity to which the birds are exposed ( Conway et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The internal nasal salt glands of clapper rails are larger than those of king rails, and this adaptation is believed to contribute to the salinity tolerance ( Conway et al . 1988 ) of clapper rails, although salt gland size is known to be a plastic trait that varies based on the water salinity to which the birds are exposed ( Conway et al . 1988 ; Olson 1997 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A high-quality de novo genome assembly for clapper rail (Rallus crepitans)

Elizondo

Faircloth

Brumfield

et al. 2023

G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics

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The clapper rail (Rallus crepitans), of the family Rallidae, is a secretive marsh bird species that is adapted for high salinity habitats. They are very similar in appearance to the closely related king rail (Rallus elegans), but while king rails are limited primarily to freshwater marshes, clapper rails are highly adapted to tolerate salt marshes. Both species can be found in brackish marshes where they freely hybridize, but the distribution of their respective habitats preclude the formation of a continuous hybrid zone and secondary contact can occur repeatedly. This system, thus, provides unique opportunities to investigate the underlying mechanisms driving their differential salinity tolerance as well as the maintenance of the species boundary between the two species. To facilitate these studies, we assembled a de novo reference genome assembly for a female clapper rail. Chicago and HiC libraries were prepared as input for the Dovetail HiRise pipeline to scaffold the genome. The pipeline, however, did not recover the Z chromosome so a custom script was used to assemble the Z chromosome. We generated a near chromosome level assembly with a total length of 994.8 Mb comprising 13,226 scaffolds. The assembly had a scaffold N50 was 82.7 Mb, L50 of four, and had a BUSCO completeness score of 92%. This assembly is among the most contiguous genomes among the species in the family Rallidae. It will serve as an important tool in future studies on avian salinity tolerance, interspecific hybridization, and speciation.

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Extra-renal salt excretion in clapper and king rails

Cited by 6 publications

References 10 publications

Quantitative acoustic differentiation of cryptic species illustrated with King and Clapper rails

Quantitative acoustic differentiation of cryptic species illustrated with King and Clapper rails

Genetic analyses reveal cryptic introgression in secretive marsh bird populations

A high-quality de novo genome assembly for clapper rail (Rallus crepitans)

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