Torrent Duck (1 Viewer)

Richard Klim said:

AOU/COS Meeting: Chicago, IL, Aug 2013: Poster presentations:
355: Gutierrez-Pinto, McCracken, Alza, Tubaro, Kopuchian, Astie & Cadena. Testing adaptive hypotheses at a continental level: phylogeography, hemoglobins and morphology of Torrent Ducks.

Monroe & Sibley 1993 lists as possible species:

• Merganetta (armata) colombiana - Colombian Torrent Duck
• Merganetta (armata) leucogenis - Peruvian Torrent Duck
• Merganetta (armata) armata - Chilean Torrent Duck

Carboneras 1992 (HBW 1).

Click to expand...

Gutiérrez-Pinto, McCracken, Alza, Tubaro, Kopuchian, Astie & Cadena (in press). The validity of ecogeographical rules is context-dependent: testing for Bergmann's and Allen's rules by latitude and elevation in a widespread Andean duck. Biol J Linn Soc. [abstract] [supp info]

Peter Kovalik said:

Gutiérrez-Pinto, N., K. G. McCracken, P. Tubaro, C. Kopuchian, A. Astie & C. D. Cadena. Molecular, niche, and morphological differentiation among Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata) populations in the Andes. In revision.

Click to expand...

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/zsc.12367

abstract.

Birds living in riverine environments may show weak population structure because high dispersal abilities required to track habitat dynamics can result in gene flow over broad spatial scales. Alternatively, the configuration of river networks may result in restricted dispersal within river courses or basins, leading to high genetic structure. Although several bird species are riverine specialists in the Andes, no study has extensively evaluated the population genetic structure of any of them. We examined evidence from genetic and morphological data to address questions about the biogeography and taxonomy of the Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata), a riverine specialist bird with a broad distribution in Andean riverine habitats which certainly comprises different subspecies and may comprise more than one species. We found deep subdivisions of Torrent Duck populations from the northern, central and southern portions of the Andes. These lineages, which partly coincide with subspecies described based on plumage variation and body size, do not share mtDNA haplotypes, have private nuclear alleles and exhibit marked differences in morphometric traits. Some geographic barriers presumably restricting gene flow between groups partially coincide with those associated with major genetic breaks in forest species with similar distributions along the Andes, suggesting that bird assemblages including species occupying different habitats were likely affected by common biogeographical events. The three groups of Torrent Ducks may be considered different species under some species definitions and are distinct evolutionary lineages to be conserved and managed separately.

LeNomenclatoriste said:

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/zsc.12367

abstract.

Birds living in riverine environments may show weak population structure because high dispersal abilities required to track habitat dynamics can result in gene flow over broad spatial scales. Alternatively, the configuration of river networks may result in restricted dispersal within river courses or basins, leading to high genetic structure. Although several bird species are riverine specialists in the Andes, no study has extensively evaluated the population genetic structure of any of them. We examined evidence from genetic and morphological data to address questions about the biogeography and taxonomy of the Torrent Duck (Merganetta armata), a riverine specialist bird with a broad distribution in Andean riverine habitats which certainly comprises different subspecies and may comprise more than one species. We found deep subdivisions of Torrent Duck populations from the northern, central and southern portions of the Andes. These lineages, which partly coincide with subspecies described based on plumage variation and body size, do not share mtDNA haplotypes, have private nuclear alleles and exhibit marked differences in morphometric traits. Some geographic barriers presumably restricting gene flow between groups partially coincide with those associated with major genetic breaks in forest species with similar distributions along the Andes, suggesting that bird assemblages including species occupying different habitats were likely affected by common biogeographical events. The three groups of Torrent Ducks may be considered different species under some species definitions and are distinct evolutionary lineages to be conserved and managed separately.

Click to expand...

Are these three groups, separable in the field?

andyadcock said:

Are these three groups, separable in the field?

Click to expand...

Never been to see them myself, but from HBW and Madge & Burn Wildfowl, the males are readily distinguishable, the females and juveniles not.

Nutcracker said:

Never been to see them myself, but from HBW and Madge & Burn Wildfowl, the males are readily distinguishable, the females and juveniles not.

Click to expand...

Thanks Nutty.

Distinguishable on the field, yes. I’ve been a proponent for trying to see the 3 lineages and whoever says they want to see torrent duck, I advise them to not stop after seeing one of the lineages /ssp. I’m happy some research is finally done, it can’t be very easy to catch these slippery birds!