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October 13, 2007

Taxonomic recommendations for British birds: Fourth report

Highlights include taxonomy of the gulls. "Phylogenetic evidence based on analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) sequences indicates that the large white-headed gull complex consists of two main clades: (1) an ‘Atlantic’ clade consisting of Yellow-legged Gull, Armenian Gull, most individuals of Herring Gull, and including Great Black-backed Gull L. marinus and Palearctic individuals of Glaucous Gull L. hyperboreus; (2) an ‘Aralo-Caspian’ clade consisting of L. a. cachinnans, L. a. barabensis, L. a. heuglini, L. a. taimyrensis, Lesser Black-backed Gull L. fuscus, Kelp Gull L. dominicanus, some individuals of L. a. argentatus, and including an ‘Arctic/Pacific’ grouping of L. a. vegae, L. a. smithsonianus, L. a. mongolicus, Slaty-backed Gull L. schistisagus, Iceland Gull L. glaucoides, Glaucous-winged Gull L. glaucescens and Nearctic individuals of Glaucous Gull (Crochet et al. 2002. Auk 119: 603–620; Crochet et al. 2003. Evolution 57: 2865–2878; Liebers et al. 2004. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 271: 893–901). Western Gull L. occidentalis is not included in these clades and forms an outgroup."

Click Here for Full Article2007.00758.x

Posted by Surfbirds at October 13, 2007 8:28 AM

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