Genetic divergence analysis of the Common Barn Owl Tyto
alba (Scopoli, 1769) and the Short-eared Owl Asio
flammeus (Pontoppidan, 1763) from southern Chile using COI sequence |
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Authors: | Nelson Colihueque Alberto Gantz Jaime Ricardo Rau Margarita Parraguez |
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Institution: | 1.Laboratorio de Biología Molecular y Citogenética, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Biodiversidad, Universidad de Los Lagos, Avenida Alcalde Fuchslocher 1305, Casilla 933, Osorno, Chile;2.Laboratorio de Ecología, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Biodiversidad, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno, Chile;3.Laboratorio de Genética, Acuicultura y Biodiversidad, Universidad de Los Lagos, Osorno, Chile |
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Abstract: | In this paper new mitochondrial COI sequences of Common Barn Owl Tyto
alba (Scopoli, 1769) and Short-eared Owl Asio
flammeus (Pontoppidan, 1763) from southern Chile are reported and compared with sequences from other parts of the World. The intraspecific genetic divergence (mean p-distance) was 4.6 to 5.5% for the Common Barn Owl in comparison with specimens from northern Europe and Australasia and 3.1% for the Short-eared Owl with respect to samples from north America, northern Europe and northern Asia. Phylogenetic analyses revealed three distinctive groups for the Common Barn Owl: (i) South America (Chile and Argentina) plus Central and North America, (ii) northern Europe and (iii) Australasia, and two distinctive groups for the Short-eared Owl: (i) South America (Chile and Argentina) and (ii) north America plus northern Europe and northern Asia. The level of genetic divergence observed in both species exceeds the upper limit of intraspecific comparisons reported previously for Strigiformes. Therefore, this suggests that further research is needed to assess the taxonomic status, particularly for the Chilean populations that, to date, have been identified as belonging to these species through traditional taxonomy. |
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Keywords: | Aves" target="_blank">Aves Common Barn Owl Short-eared Owl COI taxonomy |
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