Genetic diversity of tufted ducks (Aythya fuligula, Anatidae) in Eastern Europe

Tubelytė, Vaida; Švažas, Saulius; Sruoga, Aniolas; Butkauskas, Dalius; Paulauskas, Algimantas; Baublys, Vykintas; Viksne, Janis; Grishanov, Gennady; Kozulin, Alexander

doi:10.2478/s11535-011-0083-z

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“…Mute swans breeding in this region are [46]. High gene diversity, reflecting an earlier climate history (during the Quaternary period) and gene flow among populations, has been reported for various bird species [47][48][49][50].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Coexistence and population genetic structure of the whooper swan Cygnus cygnus and mute swan Cygnus olor in Lithuania and Latvia

et al. 2012

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Coexistence and population genetic structure of the whooper swan Cygnus cygnus and mute swan Cygnus olor in Lithuania and Latvia IntroductionCoexistence between closely related species in a given habitat or region has been of interest to researchers for decades [1][2][3][4]. Species with diverse population structures are generally better adapted to changing environmental conditions and can more successfully utilize new types of habitats [5]. As a result of global environmental change, closely related species that were historically separated by geographic barriers are sometimes found to coexist, which can result in an increase in interactions such as competition and hybridization. Two closely related swan species, the mute swan Cygnus olor and the whooper swan Cygnus cygnus were formerly allopatric throughout their breeding ranges, but during the last decades their breeding ranges have overlapped in the Baltic Sea Region [6][7][8]. This range overlap was caused by a rapid expansion in the breeding range of both species in Europe. In Lithuania and Latvia both species presently occur in the same type of habitats.The whooper swan is a characteristic species of the boreal zone in Europe. It was pushed close to extinction in the Baltic region during the 19 th and the early 20 th century due to intense human persecution [6]. A rapid range expansion of the species has been recorded since the 1970s (mainly due to improved conservation measures) and during the past decades it has established as a breeding species in all countries of the Baltic region. In Sweden, the number of whooper swans has increased from 20 pairs in the early 20 th century to about 5.400 pairs estimated during the last few years [9]. Similarly in Finland, a recorded 15 pairs from the 1940s have increased to 5.000-7.000 pairs during the last decade [10]. An increase in the number of the breeding birds was also recorded in other countries of Central and Western Europe [11][12][13][14][15][16]. The species continues to spread southwards, re-occupying former nesting grounds. During the same period, since the Keywords: Cygnus cygnus • Cygnus olor • D-loop • population genetic structure • CoexistenceAbstract: Two closely related swan species, the mute swan Cygnus olor and the whooper swan Cygnus cygnus, were formerly allopatric throughout their breeding ranges, but during the last decades a sympatric distribution has become characteristic of these species in the Baltic Sea region. The whooper swan has gradually replaced the mute swan in many suitable habitats in Lithuania and Latvia. Marked differences in the genetic population structure of both species may partially explain the dominance of the whooper swan, as genetic population divergence can be a major factor affecting inter-specific competition. A homogenous genetic population structure was defined for mute swans breeding in Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Belarus. Breeding mute swans in this region are mostly of naturalised origin. A diverse population genetic structure characterizes whooper swans bree...

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