Richard Klim
-------------------------
Dierickx, Shultz, Sato, Hiraoka & Edwards (in press). Morphological and genomic comparisons of Hawaiian and Japanese Black-footed Albatrosses (Phoebastria nigripes) using double digest RADseq: implications for conservation. Evol Appl. [abstract] [pdf]
Walsh & Edwards 2005. Conservation genetics and Pacific fisheries bycatch: Mitochondrial differentiation and population assignment in black-footed albatrosses (Phoebastria nigripes). Conserv Genet 6(2): 289–295. [pdf]
Awkerman, Anderson & Whittow 2008 (BNA Online)...
Carboneras et al 2014 (HBW Alive).
Walsh & Edwards 2005. Conservation genetics and Pacific fisheries bycatch: Mitochondrial differentiation and population assignment in black-footed albatrosses (Phoebastria nigripes). Conserv Genet 6(2): 289–295. [pdf]
Awkerman, Anderson & Whittow 2008 (BNA Online)...
Geographic Variation
The vast bulk (>95%) of the world population breeds in Hawaii, and most of the remainder breed off Japan..., although the species has bred off Baja California (Pitman and Ballance 2002) and in the Marshall Islands (Naughton et al. 2007). Morphological variation between the two main populations (Hawaii and Japan) is slight, but Japanese birds are smaller in some traits (Edwards et al. 2001:123). Mensural variation in North Pacific albatrosses can evolve relatively rapidly (Eda et al. 2006), perhaps owing to the isolated breeding sites and high philopatry of these species. Regardless, the two populations have been isolated long enough to have evolved genetic (mtDNA) differences (Walsh and Edwards 2005).
Subspecies
None. Whether morphology of Japanese breeders is diagnosably smaller or merely smaller on average requires further study. If the former, the Japanese birds are, by definition, an undescribed and unnamed subspecies. On the basis of type localities ("North Pacific" or Hawaii), names already in the literature, which include P. gibbosa (Gould, 1844), P. brachyura (Gray, 1844), and P. chinensis (Rothschild,1893), can only be junior synonyms of P. nigripes (Audubon, 1839) [type locality = Pacific Ocean at 30° 44' N, 146° W]. P. n. reischekia Mathews, 1930, described as being like nominate P. n. nigripes but smaller, may be available, but its type locality (New Zealand) is from the species' wintering grounds so it is unknown if it jibes with breeders of Japan. Still, the 425-mm wing given by Mathews (1930) is appreciably shorter than values of Hawaiian birds given by Loomis (1918): Male 488–533 mm (mean = 515 mm, n = 23); Female 485–530 mm (506 mm, n = 43).
Carboneras et al 2014 (HBW Alive).
Last edited: