white-eye
  

 
 
 
 
   
RESEARCH PROGRAM
 

DYNAMICS OF SECONDARY CONTACT IN ZOSTEROPS WHITE-EYES

Rapidly speciating lineages play an important role in generating biodiversity. Called as one of the “great speciators” by Ernst Mayr, the Zosterops White-eye clade of birds is one of the fastest speciating vertebrate lineages. However, in contrast to other fast evolving lineages like Darwin’s Finches and Anolis lizards, this clade covers a large geographic area that spans Africa, Asia and the Indo-Pacific. Although largely distributed, almost nothing is known about the reproductive barriers that prevent interbreeding between dispersing populations in this lineage. On Kolombangara Island in the Solomon Archipelago, two closely-related species of Zosterops have naturally established secondary contact. Using a combination of genomic sequencing, field experiments, and modeling, we are examining how reproductive barriers are maintained between these two Zosterops species on Kolombangara.

This project is Sarah Cowles’ dissertation research.

 

Two species of white-eyes, Zosterops murphyi and Z. kulambangarae have established secondary contact on Kolombangara Island.

 
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