Selection-Based Biodiversity at a Small Spatial Scale in a Low-Dispersing Insular Bird

Blondel, Jacques; Dias, Paula C.; Perret, Philippe; Maistre, M.; Lambrechts, Marcel M.

doi:10.1126/science.285.5432.1399

Cited by 137 publications

(158 citation statements)

References 28 publications

(7 reference statements)

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“…Contrary to previous findings suggesting that gene flow from southern populations prevents local adaptations to arise in northern Fennoscandia (Kvist et al 1999), it appears that great tits are adapted to metabolically react to the local environment. In agreement with the divergence-with-gene-flow model, local adaptations may arise when selective forces are strong enough to override the effect of gene flow (Smith et al 1997;Blondel et al 1999). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Local Adaptation to Winter Conditions in a Passerine Spreading North: A Common-Garden Approach

et al. 2005

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Abstract. Sedentary passerine birds living in temperate and boreal regions need a high metabolic capacity for thermogenesis to survive winter conditions. As a consequence of the increased thermogenic capacity, basal energetic demands rise at a time when resources and time to acquire them decrease. In a previous study, great tits (Parus major) from two localities in Fennoscandia with contrasting winter conditions differed in their metabolic response to ambient temperature. To investigate the physiological basis underlying interpopulation differences we performed a commongarden experiment to test whether these differences were genetically based. We found basal metabolic rate to be higher in birds originating from transferred eggs from the southern population compared to the ones from the northern population, contrary to the relationship among birds living in their region of origin. Despite previous evidence suggesting that gene flow prevents local adaptation at the northern range limits of a species expanding northward, we found that great tits differ in their reaction norm to winter conditions according to the population of origin.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Local Adaptation to Winter Conditions in a Passerine Spreading North: A Common-Garden Approach

et al. 2005

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“…The role of habitat remained cryptic until this comprehensive analysis of 16 discrete island populations. This study provides an example of the need to carefully assess the biodiversity value of small populations (Blondel et al 1999;Templeton et al 2001). Small, peripheral populations that do not appear to be unique may nevertheless harbour biologically significant variation that may play an important role in evolution.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Habitat selection and ecological speciation in Galápagos warbler finches ( Certhidea olivacea and Certhidea fusca )

Tonnis

Grant

et al. 2005

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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We investigated phylogeographic divergence among populations of Galápagos warbler finches. Their broad distribution, lack of phenotypic differentiation and low levels of genetic divergence make warbler finches an appropriate model to study speciation in allopatry. A positive relationship between genetic and geographical distances is expected for island taxa. Warbler finches actually showed a negative isolation by distance relationship, causing us to reject the hypothesis of distance-limited dispersal. An alternative hypothesis, that dispersal is limited by habitat similarity, was supported. We found a positive correlation between genetic distances and differences in maximum elevation among islands, which is an indicator of ecological similarity. MtDNA sequence variation revealed monophyletic support for two distinct species. Certhidea olivacea have recently dispersed among larger central islands, while some Certhidea fusca have recently dispersed to small islands at opposite ends of the archipelago. We conclude that females have chosen to breed on islands with habitats similar to their natal environment. Habitat selection is implicated as an important component of speciation of warbler finches, which is the earliest known divergence of the adaptive radiation of Darwin's finches. These results suggest that small populations can harbour cryptic but biologically meaningful variation that may affect longer term evolutionary processes.

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“…Gene £ow between the di¡erent woodland types exists . The optimal breeding time, which lasts three weeks, occurs at most one month earlier in broad-leaved, deciduous than in evergreen woodlands (Dias & Blondel 1996;Blondel et al 1999). Mainland blue tits match the brief optimal breeding time in deciduous habitat nicely, but breed in evergreen habitat at least three weeks before the short local optimal breeding time (Dias & Blondel 1996;Lambrechts et al 1997).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A long photoperiod overrides non-photoperiodic factors in blue tits' timing of reproduction

Lambrechts

Perret

2000

Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B

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Endocrinological studies have contributed considerably to the development of theory concerning the proximate aspects of the timing of reproduction. In non-domesticated, avian species, the relative importance of the photoperiodic and non-photoperiodic factors in£uencing later stages of the breeding cycle, such as the onset of egg laying, remains unclear because egg laying is di¤cult to obtain with captive populations and laboratory experiments of breeding are rarely carried out in the framework of long-term ¢eld studies. We set up a special experimental design such that captive Mediterranean blue tits (Parus caeruleus) can breed with success in large outdoor aviaries at similar latitudes and altitudes to their wild counterparts. Here we demonstrate experimentally that the non-photoperiodic factors responsible for large and consistent di¡erences in the expression of natural breeding responses between three captive outdoor blue tit populations are ignored during long-day treatment. Based on these ¢ndings, an evolutionary explanation is provided for why the relative importance of the non-photoperiodic factors decreases with the progress of the season. The hypothesis can explain observed maladapted breeding dates in free-living populations and could possibly be used to increase the success of breeding programmes with some endangered, captive, non-domesticated, photoperiodic species.

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Selection-Based Biodiversity at a Small Spatial Scale in a Low-Dispersing Insular Bird

Cited by 137 publications

References 28 publications

Local Adaptation to Winter Conditions in a Passerine Spreading North: A Common-Garden Approach

Local Adaptation to Winter Conditions in a Passerine Spreading North: A Common-Garden Approach

Habitat selection and ecological speciation in Galápagos warbler finches ( Certhidea olivacea and Certhidea fusca )

A long photoperiod overrides non-photoperiodic factors in blue tits' timing of reproduction

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