Contemporary and historical separation of transequatorial migration between genetically distinct seabird populations

Matt J. Rayner (), Mark E. Hauber, Tammy E. Steeves, Hayley A. Lawrence, David R. Thompson, Paul M. Sagar, Sarah J. Bury, Todd J. Landers, Richard A. Phillips, Louis Ranjard and Scott A. Shaffer
Additional contact information
Matt J. Rayner: National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd, Private Bag 99940, Auckland, New Zealand.
Mark E. Hauber: Hunter College of the City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065, USA.
Tammy E. Steeves: School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Hayley A. Lawrence: Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand.
David R. Thompson: National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd, Private Bag 14901, Wellington, New Zealand.
Paul M. Sagar: National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd, P O Box 8602, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Sarah J. Bury: National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research Ltd, Private Bag 14901, Wellington, New Zealand.
Todd J. Landers: School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand.
Richard A. Phillips: British Antarctic Survey, Natural Environment Research Council, High Cross, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ET, UK.
Louis Ranjard: School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand.
Scott A. Shaffer: San Jose State University, San Jose, California 95192-0100, USA.

Nature Communications, 2011, vol. 2, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Pelagic seabirds are highly mobile, reducing the likelihood of allopatric speciation where disruption of gene flow between populations is caused by physically insurmountable, extrinsic barriers. Spatial segregation during the non-breeding season appears to provide an intrinsic barrier to gene flow among seabird populations that otherwise occupy nearby or overlapping regions during breeding, but how this is achieved remains unclear. Here we show that the two genetically distinct populations of Cook's petrel (Pterodroma cookii) exhibit transequatorial separation of non-breeding ranges at contemporary (ca. 2–3 yrs) and historical (ca. 100 yrs) time scales. Segregation during the non-breeding season per se appears as an unlikely barrier to gene flow. Instead we provide evidence that habitat specialization during the non-breeding season is associated with breeding asynchrony which, in conjunction with philopatry, restricts gene flow. Habitat specialization during breeding and non-breeding likely promotes evolutionary divergence between these two populations via local adaptation.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1330

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