A genetic screen of the island races of Wren Troglodytes troglodytes in the North-east Atlantic

Thomas J. Shannon; Robert Y. McGowan; Bernie Zonfrillo; Stuart Piertney; J. Martin Collinson

doi:10.1080/00063657.2014.894493

A genetic screen of the island races of Wren Troglodytes troglodytes in the North-east Atlantic

Thomas J. Shannon, Robert Y. McGowan, Bernie Zonfrillo, Stuart Piertney, J. Martin Collinson^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

9 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Capsule Atlantic Island Wrens are very closely related to mainland European populations.

Aims The first genetic screen of the North-east Atlantic island subspecies of (Winter) Wren Troglodytes troglodytes was performed to resolve their relationship to mainland Eurasian and Nearctic populations.

Methods The ND2 gene was sequenced from 15 wrens from Iceland, Faroe Islands, St Kilda, Outer Hebrides, Fair Isle and Shetland (2-3 individuals of each subspecies) and compared with Eurasian Wrens from mainland Britain and Europe, and Winter Wrens from North America.

Results All island subspecies were shown to originate from European rather than Nearctic founders. Genetic divergence from mainland British and European populations was small (0.1-0.3% uncorrected). The major European haplotype was present in some individuals from Shetland, Fair Isle and Faroes. Novel unique haplotypes were found in all individuals of St Kilda, Iceland and Hebridean Wrens, and in two individuals of Fair Isle Wren, contrasting with the high inferred levels of gene flow across Europe.

Conclusions Genetic data are consistent with a postglacial colonization of Atlantic islands from mainland Britain and Europe, possibly with continued gene flow due to migration of European birds. Tentatively, St Kilda Wren and Iceland Wren may be more closely related; most other subspecies are probably polyphyletic.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	135-142
Number of pages	8
Journal	Bird Study
Volume	61
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2014.894493
Publication status	Published - 3 Apr 2014

Bibliographical note

We are grateful to Roger Riddington and Fair Isle Bird Observatory staff for providing samples from Shetland Wren and Fair Isle Wren for this study.

Keywords

holarctic passerine
birds
population

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10.1080/00063657.2014.894493Licence: CC BY

Jon Collinson
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Molecular and Cellular Function
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition, Medical Sciences - Personal Chair
Person: Academic

Cite this

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title = "A genetic screen of the island races of Wren Troglodytes troglodytes in the North-east Atlantic",

abstract = "Capsule Atlantic Island Wrens are very closely related to mainland European populations.Aims The first genetic screen of the North-east Atlantic island subspecies of (Winter) Wren Troglodytes troglodytes was performed to resolve their relationship to mainland Eurasian and Nearctic populations.Methods The ND2 gene was sequenced from 15 wrens from Iceland, Faroe Islands, St Kilda, Outer Hebrides, Fair Isle and Shetland (2-3 individuals of each subspecies) and compared with Eurasian Wrens from mainland Britain and Europe, and Winter Wrens from North America.Results All island subspecies were shown to originate from European rather than Nearctic founders. Genetic divergence from mainland British and European populations was small (0.1-0.3% uncorrected). The major European haplotype was present in some individuals from Shetland, Fair Isle and Faroes. Novel unique haplotypes were found in all individuals of St Kilda, Iceland and Hebridean Wrens, and in two individuals of Fair Isle Wren, contrasting with the high inferred levels of gene flow across Europe.Conclusions Genetic data are consistent with a postglacial colonization of Atlantic islands from mainland Britain and Europe, possibly with continued gene flow due to migration of European birds. Tentatively, St Kilda Wren and Iceland Wren may be more closely related; most other subspecies are probably polyphyletic.",

keywords = "holarctic passerine, birds, population",

author = "Shannon, {Thomas J.} and McGowan, {Robert Y.} and Bernie Zonfrillo and Stuart Piertney and Collinson, {J. Martin}",

note = "We are grateful to Roger Riddington and Fair Isle Bird Observatory staff for providing samples from Shetland Wren and Fair Isle Wren for this study.",

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AU - Shannon, Thomas J.

AU - McGowan, Robert Y.

AU - Zonfrillo, Bernie

AU - Piertney, Stuart

AU - Collinson, J. Martin

N1 - We are grateful to Roger Riddington and Fair Isle Bird Observatory staff for providing samples from Shetland Wren and Fair Isle Wren for this study.

PY - 2014/4/3

Y1 - 2014/4/3

N2 - Capsule Atlantic Island Wrens are very closely related to mainland European populations.Aims The first genetic screen of the North-east Atlantic island subspecies of (Winter) Wren Troglodytes troglodytes was performed to resolve their relationship to mainland Eurasian and Nearctic populations.Methods The ND2 gene was sequenced from 15 wrens from Iceland, Faroe Islands, St Kilda, Outer Hebrides, Fair Isle and Shetland (2-3 individuals of each subspecies) and compared with Eurasian Wrens from mainland Britain and Europe, and Winter Wrens from North America.Results All island subspecies were shown to originate from European rather than Nearctic founders. Genetic divergence from mainland British and European populations was small (0.1-0.3% uncorrected). The major European haplotype was present in some individuals from Shetland, Fair Isle and Faroes. Novel unique haplotypes were found in all individuals of St Kilda, Iceland and Hebridean Wrens, and in two individuals of Fair Isle Wren, contrasting with the high inferred levels of gene flow across Europe.Conclusions Genetic data are consistent with a postglacial colonization of Atlantic islands from mainland Britain and Europe, possibly with continued gene flow due to migration of European birds. Tentatively, St Kilda Wren and Iceland Wren may be more closely related; most other subspecies are probably polyphyletic.

AB - Capsule Atlantic Island Wrens are very closely related to mainland European populations.Aims The first genetic screen of the North-east Atlantic island subspecies of (Winter) Wren Troglodytes troglodytes was performed to resolve their relationship to mainland Eurasian and Nearctic populations.Methods The ND2 gene was sequenced from 15 wrens from Iceland, Faroe Islands, St Kilda, Outer Hebrides, Fair Isle and Shetland (2-3 individuals of each subspecies) and compared with Eurasian Wrens from mainland Britain and Europe, and Winter Wrens from North America.Results All island subspecies were shown to originate from European rather than Nearctic founders. Genetic divergence from mainland British and European populations was small (0.1-0.3% uncorrected). The major European haplotype was present in some individuals from Shetland, Fair Isle and Faroes. Novel unique haplotypes were found in all individuals of St Kilda, Iceland and Hebridean Wrens, and in two individuals of Fair Isle Wren, contrasting with the high inferred levels of gene flow across Europe.Conclusions Genetic data are consistent with a postglacial colonization of Atlantic islands from mainland Britain and Europe, possibly with continued gene flow due to migration of European birds. Tentatively, St Kilda Wren and Iceland Wren may be more closely related; most other subspecies are probably polyphyletic.

KW - holarctic passerine

KW - birds

KW - population

U2 - 10.1080/00063657.2014.894493

DO - 10.1080/00063657.2014.894493

M3 - Article

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JO - Bird Study

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A genetic screen of the island races of Wren Troglodytes troglodytes in the North-east Atlantic

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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