19/11/2018
A new
study has demonstrated that Eastern and Western Black-eared
Wheatears should be treated as separate species.
The
research, recently published in Journal
of Evolutionary Biology, examined and sequenced the DNA of
four black-and-white wheatears: Pied, Cyprus and both Western and Eastern Black-eared
Wheatears. This was used to create a species tree, which illustrates
the evolutionary relationships between the studied species. This initial
analysis established that, despite their superficial similarities, Western and
Eastern Black‐eared Wheatears have evolved as independent taxa, meaning that
they should be recognised as full species.
In terms
of plumage, black backs and neck-sides separate Pied and Cyprus Wheatears
from either Black-eared Wheatear. Interestingly, Western Black-eared Wheatear
can be separated from Eastern Black-eared, Pied and Cyprus Wheatears by
differences in mitochondrial DNA, yet the latter three species cannot be
distinguised individually. Eastern Black-eared Wheatear readily hybridises
with Pied Wheatear where their ranges overlap.
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