Search

Spatial differentiation in avian models has been extensively studied at a coarse scale for both theoretical and conservation purposes. Yet, studies at a finer spatial scale are also particularly relevant in birds because their dispersal ability may be much more reduced than expected. In the Forest Thrush Turdus lherminieri, we studied morphological characters commonly used to assess differentiation because they mirror both demographic and selective processes. The Forest Thrush is an endemic and vulnerable Antillean bird species which has dramatically declined in the last 15 years, and whose population functioning and structure remain unknown. We compared birds from 11 sites in Guadeloupe, which were distributed from 2 to 42 km apart over the two main geographic zones of the island (i.e. Grande-Terre and Basse-Terre). Using two synthetic descriptors (for body size and feather size), we detected a strong micro-geographic differentiation between Forest thrush populations for the body-size descriptor but not for the feather-size descriptor. Both males and females were significantly larger in Basse-Terre than in Grande-Terre despite the fine geographic scale. Several hypotheses could explain these results: (i) geographic isolation and differentiation caused by (1)absence of gene flow, (2) phenotypic plasticity, or (3) divergence with gene flow. Although further investigation is needed to identify the exact process generating phenotypic divergence, our study provides a first highlight to the high local variability of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archipelagoes are considered as "natural laboratories" for studying processes that shape the distribution of diversity. The Lesser Antilles provide a favorable geographical context for divergence to occur. However, although morphological subspecies have been described across this archipelago in numerous avian species, the potential for the Lesser Antilles in driving intra-specific genetic divergence in highly mobile organisms such as birds remains understudied. Here, we assessed level of intra-specific genetic diversity and differentiation between three islands of the Lesser Antilles (Guadeloupe, Dominica and Martinique) using a multi-species approach on eight bird species. For each species, we built a set of microsatellite markers from cross-species amplifications. Significant patterns of inter-island and/or within-island genetic differentiation were detected in all species. However, levels of intra-specific genetic differentiation among the eight bird species were not always consistent with the boundaries of subspecies previously described in the sampled islands. These results suggest different histories of colonization/expansion and/or different species-specific ecological traits affecting gene flow, advocating for multi-species studies of historical and contemporary factors shaping the distribution of diversity on islands.