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Related Experiment Videos

The herring gull complex is not a ring species.

Dorit Liebers1, Peter de Knijff, Andreas J Helbig

  • 1Institute of Zoology, University of Greifswald, Vogelwarte Hiddensee, 18565 Kloster, Germany.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|July 17, 2004
PubMed
Summary

Speciation without geographic barriers is debated. This study on herring gulls (Larus argentatus) reveals differentiation occurred mainly through allopatric events, not isolation by distance, challenging the ring-species model.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Speciation Research
  • Ornithology

Background:

  • The mechanism of speciation without geographic disjunction, particularly 'isolation by distance' in ring-species, remains controversial.
  • The herring gull (Larus argentatus) complex, with its circumpolar distribution, is a classical example used to study ring-species formation.
  • Understanding the evolutionary history of such complexes is crucial for comprehending speciation processes in animals.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the evolutionary history and speciation mechanisms within the herring gull (Larus argentatus) complex.
  • To test the predictions of the ring-species model, specifically 'isolation by distance', in this avian group.
  • To elucidate the roles of vicariance, colonization, and genetic divergence in shaping the current distribution and reproductive isolation of gull taxa.

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Main Methods:

  • Analysis of mitochondrial DNA variation across 21 distinct gull taxa.
  • Phylogenetic reconstruction to infer historical relationships and divergence events.
  • Comparison of genetic data with geographical distribution to assess modes of speciation.

Main Results:

  • Herring gull taxa primarily differentiated in allopatry, driven by vicariance and long-distance colonization events, not isolation by distance.
  • Reproductive isolation evolved at varying rates among lineages, independent of their genetic distance.
  • Evidence suggests divergent and reticulate evolution from two ancestral lineages originating in North Atlantic and Eurasian refugia.

Conclusions:

  • The study challenges the classical ring-species model for the herring gull complex, indicating allopatric differentiation is the dominant mode of speciation.
  • No genetic evidence supports the closure of the circumpolar ring via North American gulls colonizing Europe.
  • Potential imminent ring closure is suggested by the northward expansion of lesser black-backed gulls towards North America.