Abstracts - Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft

Zoological Systematics Symposium 99O ZS.13 (Su) - ENDiagnosis of species taxa in Southeast Asian warblers (Aves: Phylloscopus,Seicercus) according to molecular, bioacoustic and morphological markers.Martin Päckert 1 , Jochen Martens 2 , Yue-Hua Sun 31Museum für Tierkunde Dresden; 2 Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität Mainz; 3 Chinese Academy ofScience, Beijing, ChinaAccording to recent studies avian biodiversity in the Sinohimalaya has been greatly underestimatedso far. As an example for cryptic speciation we present phylogenetic reconstructions basedon mitochondrial genes and corresponding bioacoustic data for some Old World warbler species(Phylloscopus, Seicercus). Four main genetic lineages of Blyth´s Warbler (P. reguloides) andrelated species correspond to four separate clusters resulting from discriminant analysis of song parameters.Pairwise genetic distances and acoustic differentiation are significantly correlated. In thecase of Golden-spectacled Warblers (S. burkii s.l.) up to four distinct cryptospecies may be found inparapatry along an altitudinal gradient on a single mountain slope in China. The study of genotypedvoucher specimens furthermore revealed subtle characters like crown pattern and plumage colourationthat allow for morphological species diagnosis. Several currently accepted species turned outto be paraphyletic, the White-tailed Warbler (P. davisoni) even includes another species from a differentgenus (S. xanthoschistos) firmly nested in the respective molecular clade. This phylogeneticrelationship is again corroborated by acoustic data. Even for nomenclatorical problems molecularanalyses yielded a definite solution like in the case of a mixed type series from Chinese DuskyWarbler populations, P. fuscatus robustus. Funded by Feldbausch- and Wagner-Stiftung, Universityof Mainz.O ZS.14 (Su) - ENComparative systematics of Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) and Coal Tit (Parus ater)Dieter Thomas Tietze 1 , Jochen Martens 2 , Yue-Hua Sun 31Museum für Tierkunde Dresden; 2 Institut für Zoologie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz;3Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaTreecreeper (Certhia familiaris) and Coal Tit (Parus ater) both are widespread Palaearctic passerinebird species. Due to their habitat preference, coniferous forests, they share the so-called northern-Asian Sino-Himalayan distribution pattern. In contrast to other species (groups), in these cases themost striking character shifts are to be observed within the Sino-Himalayan population, not betweenthe latter and the taiga population. The presented results are mainly molecular-systematic based onsequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene. But intensive studies of the vocalizations of thesesongbirds corroborate the findings. Additionally, morphological data are taken into account in orderto reconsider the current taxonomy. In both study cases taxonomic changes are necessary: Certhiafamiliaris, representing a genus in which species recognition has always been difficult, is deeplysplit into two old lineages, deserving species rank. Parus ater by contrast is divided into several cytochrome-bhaplotype clusters which do not always correspond to current subspecies (groups); oneof these clusters represents the traditionally heterospecific Spot-winged Tit (Parus melanolophus).Finally, possible scenarios of range extensions to Europe are depicted for both Treecreeper and CoalTit. Feldbausch-Stiftung and Wagner-Stiftung, both at Fachbereich Biologie of Mainz University,Deutsche Ornithologen-Gesellschaft, Gesellschaft für Tropenornithologie and Evangelisches Studienwerke.V. Villigst supported the research projects.