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Relationships and species limits among the colourful Australian parrots known as rosellas ( Platycercus ) are contentious because of poorly understood patterns of parapatry, sympatry and hybridization as well as complex patterns of geographical replacement of phenotypic forms. Two subgenera are, however, conventionally recognised: Platycercus comprises the blue-cheeked crimson rosella complex (Crimson Rosella P. elegans and Green Rosella P. caledonicus ), and Violania contains the remaining four currently recognised species (Pale-headed Rosella P. adscitus , Eastern Rosella P. eximius , Northern Rosella P. venustus , and Western Rosella P. icterotis ). We used phylogenetic analysis of ten loci (one mitochondrial, eight autosomal and one z-linked) and several individuals per nominal species primarily to examine relationships within the subgenera, especially the relationships and species limits within Violania . Of these, P. adscitus and P. eximius have long been considered sister species or conspecific due to a morphology-based hybrid zone and an early phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial DNA restriction fragment length polymorphisms. The multilocus phylogenetic analysis presented here supports an alternative hypothesis aligning P. adscitus and P. venustus as sister species. Using divergence rates published in other avian studies, we estimated the divergence between P. venustus and P. adscitus at 0.0148–0.6124 MYA and that between the P. adscitus / P. venustus ancestor and P. eximius earlier at 0.1617–1.0816 MYA, both within the Pleistocene. Discordant topologies among gene and species trees are discussed and proposed to be the result of historical gene flow and/or incomplete lineage sorting (ILS). In particular, we suggest that discordance between mitochondrial and nuclear data may be the result of asymmetrical mitochondrial introgression from P. adscitus into P. eximius . The biogeographical implications of our findings are discussed relative to similarly distributed groups of birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learned vocal signals could be important in the formation of prezygotic isolation between two hybridising taxa. This study examined whether vocal variation in the parrot Platycercus elegans facilitates the separation of individuals from two subspecies, P. e. elegans (CR) and P. e. flaveolus (YR). CR and YR have very different plumage coloration, respectively deep crimson and pale yellow, but hybridise where they meet creating an intermediate population (WS). In a factorial design playback experiment, we conducted 108 playback trials on three focal populations (YR, WS, CR), in and around this area of hybridisation, to test if they respond differently to contact calls from their own or another population. We also analysed whether differences in acoustic variables of the stimulus calls predicted the response to the call. We did not find any indication that individuals from the three focal populations responded differently to calls sampled from their own or another subspecies. We did find an effect of two of the five acoustic variables that we used to describe and classify contact calls from the three source populations. Specifically, duration of the stimulus call positively affected the response from individuals from WS and negatively the response from CR, and CR responded more to stimulus calls with a lower peak frequency. Overall, we found no indication that acoustic variation in contact calls on a subspecies level is involved in maintaining plumage colour differences between P. e. elegans and P. e. flaveolus subspecies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contact zones between subspecies or closely related species offer valuable insights into speciation processes. A typical feature of such zones is the presence of clinal variation in multiple traits. The nature of these traits and the concordance among clines are expected to influence whether and how quickly speciation will proceed. Learned signals, such as vocalizations in species having vocal learning (e.g. humans, many birds, bats and cetaceans), can exhibit rapid change and may accelerate reproductive isolation between populations. Therefore, particularly strong concordance among clines in learned signals and population genetic structure may be expected, even among continuous populations in the early stages of speciation. However, empirical evidence for this pattern is often limited because differences in vocalisations between populations are driven by habitat differences or have evolved in allopatry. We tested for this pattern in a unique system where we may be able to separate effects of habitat and evolutionary history. We studied geographic variation in the vocalizations of the crimson rosella (Platycercus elegans) parrot species complex. Parrots are well known for their life-long vocal learning and cognitive abilities. We analysed contact calls across a ca 1300 km transect encompassing populations that differed in neutral genetic markers and plumage colour. We found steep clinal changes in two acoustic variables (fundamental frequency and peak frequency position). The positions of the two clines in vocal traits were concordant with a steep cline in microsatellite-based genetic variation, but were discordant with the steep clines in mtDNA, plumage and habitat. Our study provides new evidence that vocal variation, in a species with vocal learning, can coincide with areas of restricted gene flow across geographically continuous populations. Our results suggest that traits that evolve culturally can be strongly associated with reduced gene flow between populations, and therefore may promote speciation, even in the absence of other barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: The platycercine parrots of Australia, usually recognized as the Platycercinae or Platycercini, are the broad-tailed parrots and their allies typified by the rosellas Platycercus spp. Debate concerning their circumscription has most recently centerd on the position of four genera, Neophema, Neopsephotus, Pezoporus and Psittacella, the last two having never been adequately included in sequence-based analyses. We use broad taxon sampling, mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data from seven independent loci (two linked mitochondrial loci and six nuclear loci), and both gene tree and species tree approaches to reconstruct phylogenies and so determine the systematic placement all four genera. Analyses of two data sets, one of 48 taxa and five loci and one of 27 taxa and the same five plus three additional loci produced broadly congruent and consistently well-resolved phylogenies. We reject placement of any of these four genera within core platycercines. Pezoporus is closely allied to Neophema and Neopsephotus. These three genera are the likely sister group to core platycercines and we advocate their recognition as a subfamily. Psittacella is the sole extant representative of a lineage that branched very early in the history of Australo-Papuan parrot fauna and is not closely related to any of the mostly south-east Asian and Indonesian psittaculine taxa with which it is more often linked. We present a revised view of the extraordinary phylogenetic, phenotypic and ecological diversity that is the adaptive radiation of Australo-Papuan parrots. Finally, our analyses highlight the likely paraphyly of Mayr’s (2008) Loricoloriinae. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two hybrid zones between subspecies of the Australian ringneck parrot (Psittacidae: Platycercus zonarius) were examined for morphological (plumage patterns) and cultural (learned contact flight calls) traits. Mensural traits and plumage patterns also were quantified in a study in the 1960s. My samples were taken from populations in the allopatric distributions of the parental taxa P. z. zonarius (Port Lincoln parrot), P. z. semitorquatus (twenty-eight parrot), and P. z. barnardi (Mallee ringneck) and within the hybrid zones. The two hybrid zones differed in the distribution of plumage patterns: (a) in the zonarius – semitorquatus zone of intergradation all sample locations comprised birds of both subspecies’ plumage patterns as well as numerous birds in hybrid plumage and (b) in the zonarius – barnardi zone of intergradation all birds were in hybrid plumage. The cultural trait also differed in the two hybrid zones: the acoustic features of P. z. zonarius flight call predominated in the birds in the hybrid zone with P. z. semitorquatus, regardless of plumage displayed by the individuals; whereas in the P. z. zonarius – P. z. barnardi zone of hybridization the acoustic features of the P. z. barnardi flight call notes evidently have swamped out those of P. z. zonarius. The results on the cultural trait reject ‘coexistence’ and ‘blending’ models of cultural interchange but support a ‘cultural dominance’ model. Hypotheses are discussed concerning historical and behavioral means by which the patterns arise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocal variation may be important in population divergence. We studied geographical variation in contact calls of parrots of the crimson rosella, Platycercus elegans, complex, which is characterized by striking geographical plumage coloration variation. This complex has long been considered a rare example of a ring species (where two divergent forms coexist in sympatry but are connected by a chain of intermediate populations forming a geographical ring). We tested whether contact call variation is consistent with the ring species hypothesis. We recorded calls throughout the ring, including several sites from the three main population groups forming the ring and interfaces between them. We analysed duration, peak frequency, fundamental frequency and frequency modulation. We found significant differences, particularly in fundamental frequency and frequency modulation, at multiple biogeographical scales ranging from local populations to subspecies level. Discriminant function analyses showed some populations could be reliably discriminated from call structure. However, our results provided little support for three key predictions of the ring species hypothesis: (1) calls of the terminal, most divergent forms were not significantly different in three of the four acoustic variables, and differences did not appear to be maintained in sympatry, (2) phenotypically/geographically intermediate populations were not characterized by intermediate calls, and (3) call variation was not concordant with geographical sequence around the ring from one terminal form to the other. Our results underscore the emerging view that the evolutionary histories and phenotypic variability of many long-held ring species may be inadequately described by the ring species hypothesis and require alternative explanations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Speciation, despite ongoing gene flow can be studied directly in nature in ring species that comprise two reproductively isolated populations connected by a chain or ring of intergrading populations. We applied three tiers of spatio-temporal analysis (phylogeny/historical biogeography, phylogeography and landscape/population genetics) to the data from mitochondrial and nuclear genomes of eastern Australian parrots of the Crimson Rosella Platycercus elegans complex to understand the history and present genetic structure of the ring they have long been considered to form. A ring speciation hypothesis does not explain the patterns we have observed in our data (e.g. multiple genetic discontinuities, discordance in genotypic and phenotypic assignments where terminal differentiates meet). However, we cannot reject that a continuous circular distribution has been involved in the group's history or indeed that one was formed through secondary contact at the ‘ring's’ east and west; however, we reject a simple ring-species hypothesis as traditionally applied, with secondary contact only at its east. We discuss alternative models involving historical allopatry of populations. We suggest that population expansion shown by population genetics parameters in one of these isolates was accompanied by geographical range expansion, secondary contact and hybridization on the eastern and western sides of the ring. Pleistocene landscape and sea-level and habitat changes then established the birds' current distributions and range disjunctions. Populations now show idiosyncratic patterns of selection and drift. We suggest that selection and drift now drive evolution in different populations within what has been considered the ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antipredator behavior includes several qualitatively distinct activities, but few studies have determined the degree to which these activities are independent. If behaviors are not independent, then the nature of the relationship would illustrate potential performance constraints. We studied crimson rosellas ( Platycercus elegans) and first focused on acoustic predator discrimination. We measured time allocation before and after playback of one of three experimental treatments (peregrine falcons— Falco peregrinus, wedge-tailed eagles— Aquila audax, and crimson rosellas) to determine whether or not rosellas discriminated predators from non-predators, and specifically whether or not they discriminated large from small predators. We then focused on the decision to flee. We experimentally approached subjects and measured the distance at which they oriented to us (alert distance) and the distance at which they fled (flight initiation distance; FID). We found that rosellas could distinguish among predators; however, there was no effect on general wariness as measured by FID. These two processes of antipredator behavior may, thus, be independent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the patterns of sex allocation in crimson rosellas Platycercus elegans, a socially monogamous Australian parrot. Overall, 41.8% of nestlings were male, a significant female bias. However underlying this population-level bias were non-random patterns of sex allocation within broods. Broods produced early in the season were female-biased, but the proportion of males in a brood increased as the breeding season progressed. Female rosellas may obtain greater fitness benefits from early-fledging daughters than sons because daughters can breed as 1-year-olds whereas sons do not breed until they are at least 2 years old. Laying date and laying sequence also interacted to influence the sex ratio of eggs. The sex of early-laid eggs strongly followed the brood level pattern, whereas the sex of middle- and late-laid eggs did not change significantly as the season progressed. Nevertheless, late-laid eggs were very unlikely to be male at the end of the season. We argue these differing seasonal patterns reflect the relative costs and benefits to producing early-hatched males and females at different times of the season. Female rosellas appear to maximise the probability that daughters are able to breed early but to minimise competitive asymmetries within the brood. In particular, late-hatched male chicks are disadvantaged if their oldest sibling is male, explaining the dearth of broods containing late-hatched males at the end of the breeding season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigates food allocation in asynchronously hatching crimson rosellas, Platycercus elegans. Species; Manipulation of chick hunger; Changes in food allocation; Mechanisms of parental control; Food allocation to hungry chicks; Reason for parental allocation of food.

Examines the nestling growth and survival in asynchronously hatching crimson rosellas in Australia. Observations on the growth rate of chicks; Suggestions on the cost of hatching asynchrony; Relation of asynchronous hatching to reduce growth and survival of later hatched chicks.

Studies the complex patterns of food distribution among crimson rosellas. Comparison of food delivery between male and female parent rosellas; Impact of food allocation on hatching rank; Food distribution between different sex nestlings; Contrast of feeding visits between male and female parents.

A correction to the article "Clinical Beak and Feather Disease Virus Infection in Wild Juvenile Eastern Rosellas of New Zealand: Biosecurity Implications for Wildlife Care Facilities" that was published in a 2014 issue is presented.