Parallel evolution in the major haemoglobin genes of eight species of Andean waterfowl

McCracken, Kevin G.; Barger, Chris P.; Bulgarella, Mariana; Johnson, Kevin P.; Sonsthagen, Sarah A.; Trucco, Jorge; Valqui, Thomas; Wilson, R. E.; Winker, Kevin; Sorenson, Michael D.

doi:10.1111/j.1365-294x.2009.04352.x

Cited by 67 publications

(103 citation statements)

References 83 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…These include multiple species of raptor, waterfowl, crane, passerine, hummingbird and others. The highest flight altitudes reported from various sources in the literature are shown here (Eastwood and Rider, 1965;Swan, 1970;Faraci, 1986;Faraci, 1991;del Hoyo et al, 1999;Kanai et al, 2000;McCracken et al, 2009b). The physiology of high-altitude flight…”

Section: G R Scottmentioning

confidence: 63%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Elevated performance: the unique physiology of birds that fly at high altitudes

Scott

2011

Journal of Experimental Biology

137

113

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Birds that fly at high altitudes must support vigorous exercise in oxygen-thin environments. Here I discuss the characteristics that help high fliers sustain the high rates of metabolism needed for flight at elevation. Many traits in the O2 transport pathway distinguish birds in general from other vertebrates. These include enhanced gas-exchange efficiency in the lungs, maintenance of O2 delivery and oxygenation in the brain during hypoxia, augmented O2 diffusion capacity in peripheral tissues and a high aerobic capacity. These traits are not high-altitude adaptations, because they are also characteristic of lowland birds, but are nonetheless important for hypoxia tolerance and exercise capacity. However, unique specializations also appear to have arisen, presumably by high-altitude adaptation, at every step in the O2 pathway of highland species. The distinctive features of high fliers include an enhanced hypoxic ventilatory response, an effective breathing pattern, larger lungs, haemoglobin with a higher O2 affinity, further augmentation of O2 diffusion capacity in the periphery and multiple alterations in the metabolic properties of cardiac and skeletal muscle. These unique specializations improve the uptake, circulation and efficient utilization of O2 during high-altitude hypoxia. High-altitude birds also have larger wings than their lowland relatives to reduce the metabolic costs of staying aloft in low-density air. High fliers are therefore unique in many ways, but the relative roles of adaptation and plasticity (acclimatization) in high-altitude flight are still unclear. Disentangling these roles will be instrumental if we are to understand the physiological basis of altitudinal range limits and how they might shift in response to climate change.

show abstract

Section: G R Scottmentioning

confidence: 63%

“…Birds are particularly diverse in montane regions -many live at over 4000m above sea level and some surmount the world's highest mountain peaks during their migration (Fig.1). Although some species are unique to high elevation, others are found across broad elevational gradients (McCracken et al, 2009b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevated performance: the unique physiology of birds that fly at high altitudes

Scott

2011

Journal of Experimental Biology

137

113

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…If colonization involved genetic adaptations in the hemoglobin gene, then one should find a paraphyletic group formed by lowland alleles from South and North America, with lowland alleles from South America derived from South American highland alleles. Furthermore, if colonization indeed occurred north to south and involved genetic adaptation in the hemoglobin gene, then no or little gene flow from North America into Colombia should be observed in hemoglobin sequences because of the influence of selection, and Colombian individuals should exhibit hemoglobin genotypes previously hypothesized to indicate putative genetic adaptations to life at high elevations (McCracken, Barger, Bulgarella, Johnson, Sonsthagen, et al., 2009; Muñoz‐Fuentes et al., 2013). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, based on geographic variation in substitutions in the βA globin gene, it was proposed that, upon expanding its range, the species first acclimatized or adapted to highlands of the Andes (Muñoz‐Fuentes et al., 2013). A substitution putatively increasing the affinity of hemoglobin for oxygen (McCracken, Barger, Bulgarella, Johnson, Sonsthagen, et al., 2009) may have allowed Ruddy Ducks to establish in the Northern Andes and to spread southward along highland environments; as the species colonized precordilleran steppe habitats in southern South America, its hemoglobin seemingly adapted again to lowland conditions (Muñoz‐Fuentes et al., 2013). These inferences, however, were made based on molecular data sets that did not include population‐level sampling in the Northern Andes and were not validated by functional analyses.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Neutral and functionally important genes shed light on phylogeography and the history of high‐altitude colonization in a widespread New World duck

Lozano-Jaramillo

McCracken

Cadena

2018

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Phylogeographic studies often infer historical demographic processes underlying species distributions based on patterns of neutral genetic variation, but spatial variation in functionally important genes can provide additional insights about biogeographic history allowing for inferences about the potential role of adaptation in geographic range evolution. Integrating data from neutral markers and genes involved in oxygen (O2)‐transport physiology, we test historical hypotheses about colonization and gene flow across low‐ and high‐altitude regions in the Ruddy Duck (Oxyura jamaicensis), a widely distributed species in the New World. Using multilocus analyses that for the first time include populations from the Colombian Andes, we also examined the hypothesis that Ruddy Duck populations from northern South America are of hybrid origin. We found that neutral and functional genes appear to have moved into the Colombian Andes from both North America and southern South America, and that high‐altitude Colombian populations do not exhibit evidence of adaptation to hypoxia in hemoglobin genes. Therefore, the biogeographic history of Ruddy Ducks is likely more complex than previously inferred. Our new data raise questions about the hypothesis that adaptation via natural selection to high‐altitude conditions through amino acid replacements in the hemoglobin protein allowed Ruddy Ducks to disperse south along the high Andes into southern South America. The existence of shared genetic variation with populations from both North America and southern South America as well as private alleles suggests that the Colombian population of Ruddy Ducks may be of old hybrid origin. This study illustrates the breadth of inferences one can make by combining data from nuclear and functionally important loci in phylogeography, and underscores the importance of complete range‐wide sampling to study species history in complex landscapes.

show abstract

“…BLASTing their sequence KF222510 against other hummingbird genes and inspecting the relevant codons suggests that β13 Gly→Ser is another CpG → CpA hot spot mutation. Interestingly, the β13 Gly→Ser change is also found in two species of Andean waterfowl, the yellow-billed pintail and the speckled teal, according to a report from a different group (16).…”

mentioning

confidence: 94%