0000000000394313

AUTHOR

Till Töpfer

Progress on bringing together raptor collections in Europe for contaminant research and monitoring in relation to chemicals regulation.

Paola Movalli et al.

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The role of natural science collections in the biomonitoring of environmental contaminants in apex predators in support of the EU’s zero pollution ambition

Movalli, Paola et al.

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Asymmetric allelic introgression across a hybrid zone of the coal tit (Periparus ater) in the central Himalayas*

Abstract In the Himalayas, a number of secondary contact zones have been described for vicariant vertebrate taxa. However, analyses of genetic divergence and admixture are missing for most of these examples. In this study, we provide a population genetic analysis for the coal tit (Periparus ater) hybrid zone in Nepal. Intermediate phenotypes between the distinctive western “spot‐winged tit” (P. a. melanolophus) and Eastern Himalayan coal tits (P. a. aemodius) occur across a narrow range of <100 km in western Nepal. As a peculiarity, another distinctive cinnamon‐bellied form is known from a single population so far. Genetic admixture of western and eastern mitochondrial lineages was restrict…

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A molecular phylogeny of bullfinches Pyrrhula Brisson, 1760 (Aves: Fringillidae)

Abstract We present a molecular phylogeny of bullfinches (Pyrrhula Brisson, 1760) based on 2357 bp DNA sequence information of mitochondrial genes (cyt-b, 16S rRNA) and nuclear introns (fib-7, GAPDH-11). The genus is clearly a monophyletic group. Within the limits of Pyrrhula, molecular methods support the subdivision of three main groups: (1) “Southeast-Asian bullfinches” (P. nipalensis and P. leucogenis), (2) “Himalayan bullfinches” (P. aurantiaca, P. erythaca, P. erythrocephala), and (3) “Eurasian bullfinches” (P. pyrrhula s.l.). Within the last group there are four different subgroups: (3a) P. (p.) murina, (3b) P. (p.) cineracea, (3c) P. (p.) griseiventris, and (3d) P. pyrrhula s.str. T…

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Horizontal and elevational phylogeographic patterns of Himalayan and Southeast Asian forest passerines (Aves: Passeriformes)

Aim  Zoogeographic patterns in the Himalayas and their neighbouring Southeast Asian mountain ranges include elevational parapatry and ecological segregation, particularly among passerine bird species. We estimate timings of lineage splits among close relatives from the north Palaearctic, the Sino-Himalayan mountain forests and from adjacent Southeast Asia. We also compare phylogeographic affinities and timing of radiation among members of avian communities from different elevational belts. Location  East Asia. Methods  We reconstructed molecular phylogenies based on a mitochondrial marker (cytochrome b) and multilocus data sets for seven passerine groups: Aegithalidae, Certhiidae (Certhia),…

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