Cytochrome b divergence between avian sister species is linked to generation length and body mass

Thomson, Caroline E.; Gilbert, James D. J.; Brooke, M. de L

Abstract

It is increasingly realised that the molecular clock does not tick at a constant rate. Rather, mitochondrial mutation rates are influenced by factors such as generation length and body mass. This has implications for the use of genetic data in species delimitation. It could be that speciation, as recognised by avian taxonomists, is associated with a certain minimum genetic distance between sister taxa, in which case we would predict no difference in the cytochrome b divergence of sister taxa according to the species’ body size or generation time. Alternatively, if what taxonomists recognise as speciation has tended to be associated with the passage of a minimum amount of time since divergence, then there might be less genetic divergence between sister taxa with slower mutation rates, namely those that are heavier and/or with longer generation times. After excluding non-flying species, we analysed a database of over 600 avian sister species pairs, and found that species pairs with longer generation lengths (which tend to be the larger species) showed less cytochrome b divergence. This finding cautions against using any simple unitary criterion of genetic divergence to delimit species.

Citation

Thomson, C. E., Gilbert, J. D. J., & Brooke, M. D. L. (2014). Cytochrome b divergence between avian sister species is linked to generation length and body mass. PLoS ONE, 9(2), Article e85006. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0085006

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 1, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Feb 5, 2014
• Publication Date: Feb 5, 2014
• Deposit Date: Apr 26, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 26, 2016
• Journal: PLoS ONE
• Print ISSN: 1932-6203
• Publisher: Public Library of Science
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 2
• Article Number: e85006
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0085006
• Keywords: Molecular clock, Cytochrome b, Animal species, Mitochondrial DNA, Body mass index, Mutation
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/437074
• Publisher URL: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0085006
• Additional Information: Copy of article first published in: PLoS ONE, v.9, issue 2.
• Contract Date: Apr 26, 2016