Background:Kiwi(Apteryx spp.)are flightless ratites from New Zealand whose numbers and distributions have declined following human arrival.Some of the kiwi species are known to hybridise but the extent of hybridizatio...Background:Kiwi(Apteryx spp.)are flightless ratites from New Zealand whose numbers and distributions have declined following human arrival.Some of the kiwi species are known to hybridise but the extent of hybridization is unknown.Methods:We reviewed hybridisation in kiwi(Apteryx spp.)and present new genetic data examining the extent of hybridisation between Rowi(A.rowi)and Little Spotted Kiwi(A.owenii)at Okarito,the location of the only remaining natural population of the threatened Rowi.We also genetically examined the syntype specimens of A.haastii Potts,1872,collected from near Okarito in the 1870s,which have unusual morphologies.Results:We found evidence of recurrent hybridisation between Rowi and Little Spotted Kiwi over the last 150 years,including one F1 hybrid found in the last 15 years,despite Little Spotted Kiwi’s likely extinction on the mainland in the 1970s.However,we found little evidence of introgression of Little Spotted Kiwi alleles into the extant Rowi popula-tion.The syntype specimens of A.haastii were also found to be hybrids between Little Spotted Kiwi and Rowi.Conclusions:Our genetic analyses indicate that,although we detected multiple instances of hybridisation between Rowi and Little Spotted Kiwi,it does not appear to be an ongoing threat to Rowi.Because the syntype specimens of A.haastii are hybrids and therefore not representative of the prevailing usage of the name for the Great Spotted Kiwi(A.haastii),we resurrect the nomen oblitum A.maxima Sclater and Hochstetter,1861 for the large spotted kiwi species.展开更多
Direct and dendrographic comparison of the profiles of abundant fatty acids in depot fat was unable to separate 10 avian species on a basis of their overall proportions but was able to distinguish broad dietary groups...Direct and dendrographic comparison of the profiles of abundant fatty acids in depot fat was unable to separate 10 avian species on a basis of their overall proportions but was able to distinguish broad dietary groups or those in a habitat with distinctive nutritional characteristics such as avian marine carnivores. In all species considered, including North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli), oleic (C18:1) and palmitic acids (C16:0) were most abundant. The relative proportions of linolenic (C18:3) acid were 4% or lower across all species, while the relative proportions of palmitoleic acid (C18:0) were less than 7% in nine of the avian species, with the exception being the insectivorous red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceous). The levels of linoleic acid (C18:2) were lower in avian marine carnivores than in avian herbivores, insectivores, and omnivores. Whilst the mean values of the individual fatty acids in fat from various avian species were separated by hierarchical cluster analysis, the wide range of values of each fatty acid precluded any correlation of clustering with any known variation in dietary items. Similarly, the wide range in fatty acid composition of kiwi fat rendered it unhelpful in determining the optimum composition of the captive diet.展开更多
基金KR was supported by the Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution,the Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust,and the New Zealand Department of Conservation.LS was funded by a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship from the Royal Society of New Zealand(contract number RDF-MNZ1201).
文摘Background:Kiwi(Apteryx spp.)are flightless ratites from New Zealand whose numbers and distributions have declined following human arrival.Some of the kiwi species are known to hybridise but the extent of hybridization is unknown.Methods:We reviewed hybridisation in kiwi(Apteryx spp.)and present new genetic data examining the extent of hybridisation between Rowi(A.rowi)and Little Spotted Kiwi(A.owenii)at Okarito,the location of the only remaining natural population of the threatened Rowi.We also genetically examined the syntype specimens of A.haastii Potts,1872,collected from near Okarito in the 1870s,which have unusual morphologies.Results:We found evidence of recurrent hybridisation between Rowi and Little Spotted Kiwi over the last 150 years,including one F1 hybrid found in the last 15 years,despite Little Spotted Kiwi’s likely extinction on the mainland in the 1970s.However,we found little evidence of introgression of Little Spotted Kiwi alleles into the extant Rowi popula-tion.The syntype specimens of A.haastii were also found to be hybrids between Little Spotted Kiwi and Rowi.Conclusions:Our genetic analyses indicate that,although we detected multiple instances of hybridisation between Rowi and Little Spotted Kiwi,it does not appear to be an ongoing threat to Rowi.Because the syntype specimens of A.haastii are hybrids and therefore not representative of the prevailing usage of the name for the Great Spotted Kiwi(A.haastii),we resurrect the nomen oblitum A.maxima Sclater and Hochstetter,1861 for the large spotted kiwi species.
文摘Direct and dendrographic comparison of the profiles of abundant fatty acids in depot fat was unable to separate 10 avian species on a basis of their overall proportions but was able to distinguish broad dietary groups or those in a habitat with distinctive nutritional characteristics such as avian marine carnivores. In all species considered, including North Island brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli), oleic (C18:1) and palmitic acids (C16:0) were most abundant. The relative proportions of linolenic (C18:3) acid were 4% or lower across all species, while the relative proportions of palmitoleic acid (C18:0) were less than 7% in nine of the avian species, with the exception being the insectivorous red-eyed vireo (Vireo olivaceous). The levels of linoleic acid (C18:2) were lower in avian marine carnivores than in avian herbivores, insectivores, and omnivores. Whilst the mean values of the individual fatty acids in fat from various avian species were separated by hierarchical cluster analysis, the wide range of values of each fatty acid precluded any correlation of clustering with any known variation in dietary items. Similarly, the wide range in fatty acid composition of kiwi fat rendered it unhelpful in determining the optimum composition of the captive diet.
