Genetic assessment reveals intraspecific differentiation in the Southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis) in South America

LIJTMAER, DARÍO A.; TUBARO, PABLO L.; BUKOWSKI, BELÉN

Congreso; Evolution 2017; 2017

Society for the Study of Evolution

Most of the studies of Neotropical diversification have been concentrated in the Amazon basin, the northern Andes and, in lesser extent, the Atlantic Forest. In contrast, very little is known about diversification in the southern cone of South America. In this context, we analyzed the evolutionary history of the Southern lapwing (Vanellus chilensis), a species that inhabits mainly open areas of the Neotropics, emphasizing the analysis of the differentiated lineage that is found in Patagonia and Chile. We performed a comprehensive analysis including the four subspecies currently recognized for this species,and using mitochondrial DNA (COI and cyt b) and vocalizations. Our analysis of genetic divergence and haplotype networks indicated that this species presents high intraspecific variation and a marked phylogeographic structure, being the divergence between the two subspecies present in southern Argentina and Chile and the rest of the species as high as 1.7%. This is consistent with differences in vocalizations because songs from both Patagonian subspecies showed longer notes that possessed marked frequency oscillations. While further analyses including more samples, additional markers (genomics) and morphology are needed, our results show that despite the continuous distribution of the species there is a clear split between the populations from southern South America and those from the remainder of its distribution. This could be due to the isolation of these former in refuges during late Pliocene and Pleistocene glaciations followed by an expansion from these refuges.This highlights the importance of the glacial cycles in southern South America as a driver of diversification.