Anatidae (1 Viewer)

[albertonykus]

Cádiz, M.I., A.N.B. Tengstedt, I.H. Sørensen, E.S. Pedersen, A.D. Fox, and M.M. Hansen (2024)
Demographic history and inbreeding in two declining sea duck species inferred from whole-genome sequence data
Evolutionary Applications 17: e70008
doi: 10.1111/eva.70008

Anthropogenic impact has transitioned from threatening already rare species to causing significant declines in once numerous organisms. Long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) and velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca) were once important quarry sea duck species in NW Europe, but recent declines resulted in their reclassification as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. We sequenced and assembled genomes for both species and resequenced 15 individuals of each. Using analyses based on site frequency spectra and sequential Markovian coalescence, we found C. hyemalis to show more historical demographic stability, whereas M. fusca was affected particularly by the Last (Weichselian) Glaciation. This likely reflects C. hyemalis breeding continuously across the Arctic, with cycles of glaciation primarily shifting breeding areas south or north without major population declines, whereas the more restricted southern range of M. fusca would lead to significant range contraction during glaciations. Both species showed evidence of declines over the past thousands of years, potentially reflecting anthropogenic pressures with the recent decline indicating an accelerated process. Analysis of runs of homozygosity (ROH) showed low but nontrivial inbreeding, with FROH from 0.012 to 0.063 in C. hyemalis and ranging from 0 to 0.047 in M. fusca. Lengths of ROH suggested that this was due to ongoing background inbreeding rather than recent declines. Overall, despite demographically important declines, this has not yet led to strong inbreeding and genetic erosion, and the most pressing conservation concern may be the risk of density-dependent (Allee) effects. We recommend monitoring of inbreeding using ROH analysis as a cost-efficient method to track future developments to support effective conservation of these species.

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

Ray M Chatterji, Tracy A Heath, Helen F James, Courtney Hofman, Michael D Sorenson, Janet C Buckner (2024). Dietary specialization drives adaptation, convergence, and integration across the cranial and appendicular skeleton in Waterfowl (Anseriformes).

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.09.21.614171v1

Abstract
Convergence provides strong evidence for adaptive evolution as it reflects shared adaptive responses to the same selection pressures. The waterfowl (order Anseriformes) are an ideal group in which to study convergent evolution as they have repeatedly evolved morphotypes putatively correlated with diet (i.e., dabbler, grazer, diver). Here, we construct the most robust evolutionary hypothesis to date for waterfowl and reveal widespread morphological convergence across the order. We quantified the shape of the skull and hindlimb elements (femur, tibiotarsus, and tarsometatarsus) of 118 species of extant waterfowl using geometric morphometrics. Multivariate generalized evolutionary models provide strong support for a relationship between dietary ecology and skull shape, and evidence for convergent evolution across lineages that share dietary niches. Foraging behavior better explained the evolution of hindlimb shape, but diet still contributed significantly. We also find preliminary evidence for integration across all three measured hindlimb elements with each other and with the skull. We demonstrate that dietary ecology drives morphological convergence within waterfowl, that this convergent evolution involves multiple integrated skeletal structures, and that morphological changes are associated with shifts in the rate of phenotypic evolution.

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

There is a strong possibility that Anas gracilis is a synonym of Anas castanea

Including A. gibberifrons and its subspecies under castanea

 

[Peter Kovalik]

Bakner, N.W., Masto, N.M., Lavretsky, P., Highway, C.J., Keever, A.C., Blake-Bradshaw, A.G., Askren, R.J., Hagy, H.M., Feddersen, J.C., Osborne, D.C. and Cohen, B.S. (2025) Mallard hybridization with domesticated lineages alters spring migration behavior and timing. Ecology and Evolution 15: e70706.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70706

ABSTRACT
Introgressive hybridization, the interbreeding and gene flow between different species, has become increasingly common in the Anthropocene, where human-induced ecological changes and the introduction of captively reared individuals are increasing secondary contact among closely related species, leading to gene flow between wild and domesticated lineages. As a result, domesticated-wild hybridization may potentially affect individual fitness, leading to maladaptive effects such as shifts in behavior or life-history decisions (e.g., migration patterns), which could influence population demographics. In North America, the release of captive-reared game-farm mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) for hunting has led to extensive hybridization with wild mallards, altering the genetic structure in the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways. We aimed to investigate differences in spring migratory behavior among 296 GPS-tagged mallards captured during winter in Tennessee and Arkansas with varying levels of hybridization. Despite relatively low levels of genetic introgression of game-farm genes, mallards with higher percentages of game-farm ancestry exhibited later departure and arrival times, shorter migration distances, and a tendency to establish residency at lower latitudes. Specifically, for every 10% increase in game-farm genetics, mallards departed 17.7% later, arrived 22.1% later, settled 3.3% farther south, and traveled 7.1% shorter distances during migration. These findings suggest that genetic introgression from game-farm mallards influences migratory behavior, potentially reducing fitness, and contributing to population declines in wild mallards. Our study presents a need for understanding how domestic hybridization effects fitness and behavioral change of other species.

 

[Kirk Roth]

Bakner, N.W., Masto, N.M., Lavretsky, P., Highway, C.J., Keever, A.C., Blake-Bradshaw, A.G., Askren, R.J., Hagy, H.M., Feddersen, J.C., Osborne, D.C. and Cohen, B.S. (2025) Mallard hybridization with domesticated lineages alters spring migration behavior and timing. Ecology and Evolution 15: e70706.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70706

ABSTRACT
Introgressive hybridization, the interbreeding and gene flow between different species, has become increasingly common in the Anthropocene, where human-induced ecological changes and the introduction of captively reared individuals are increasing secondary contact among closely related species, leading to gene flow between wild and domesticated lineages. As a result, domesticated-wild hybridization may potentially affect individual fitness, leading to maladaptive effects such as shifts in behavior or life-history decisions (e.g., migration patterns), which could influence population demographics. In North America, the release of captive-reared game-farm mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) for hunting has led to extensive hybridization with wild mallards, altering the genetic structure in the Atlantic and Mississippi flyways. We aimed to investigate differences in spring migratory behavior among 296 GPS-tagged mallards captured during winter in Tennessee and Arkansas with varying levels of hybridization. Despite relatively low levels of genetic introgression of game-farm genes, mallards with higher percentages of game-farm ancestry exhibited later departure and arrival times, shorter migration distances, and a tendency to establish residency at lower latitudes. Specifically, for every 10% increase in game-farm genetics, mallards departed 17.7% later, arrived 22.1% later, settled 3.3% farther south, and traveled 7.1% shorter distances during migration. These findings suggest that genetic introgression from game-farm mallards influences migratory behavior, potentially reducing fitness, and contributing to population declines in wild mallards. Our study presents a need for understanding how domestic hybridization effects fitness and behavioral change of other species.

Alert WGAC - clearly Domestic Duck is a split species under BSC.

 

[Mysticete]

Alert WGAC - clearly Domestic Duck is a split species under BSC.

I know you are joking, but honestly it's kind of weird that some of the long-domesticated species aren't treated as different species taxonomically. That is the default for mammals, where the domestic forms have there own scientific name (Canis familiaris, Felis catus, etc)

 

[Kirk Roth]

I know you are joking, but honestly it's kind of weird that some of the long-domesticated species aren't treated as different species taxonomically. That is the default for mammals, where the domestic forms have there own scientific name (Canis familiaris, Felis catus, etc)

Though notably, many of those domestic mammal examples have evolved differences in reproductive behavior and seasonality (while obviously still able to hybridize/intergrade). Mammalian BSC speciation is just different.

Even the oldest domestic birds (e.g. chickens, geese, pigeons) breed readily with "wild stock" of their own species (and many times other species!) with relatively little pre- or postzygotic price to pay.

Here is a fun fairly recent article on the messy, messy origin story of Gallus (gallus) domesticus: Origin of the domestic chicken from modern biological and zooarchaeological approaches

 

[Mysticete]

Though notably, many of those domestic mammal examples have evolved differences in reproductive behavior and seasonality (while obviously still able to hybridize/intergrade). Mammalian BSC speciation is just different.

Even the oldest domestic birds (e.g. chickens, geese, pigeons) breed readily with "wild stock" of their own species (and many times other species!) with relatively little pre- or postzygotic price to pay.

Here is a fun fairly recent article on the messy, messy origin story of Gallus (gallus) domesticus: Origin of the domestic chicken from modern biological and zooarchaeological approaches

I am not sure it has much of anything to do with species concept...domestic cats can and do readily breed with wild cats after all. and we don't know how many species would actually interact with their wild ancestors because they are extinct (Aurochs, Tarpan, wild Dromedary, possibly dog). My understanding is that this move is more something from archaeology, where obviously it is important to be able to distinguish from a wild horse vs a domestic one, since that difference is going to be incredibly important for understanding an ancient culture (or cow, or dog, etc).

 

[Kirk Roth]

I am not sure it has much of anything to do with species concept...domestic cats can and do readily breed with wild cats after all. and we don't know how many species would actually interact with their wild ancestors because they are extinct (Aurochs, Tarpan, wild Dromedary, possibly dog). My understanding is that this move is more something from archaeology, where obviously it is important to be able to distinguish from a wild horse vs a domestic one, since that difference is going to be incredibly important for understanding an ancient culture (or cow, or dog, etc).

You're certainly more of a mammologist than I am, but I know that with cats, for example the less frequent reproductive cycles and relaxed environmental cues for mating in the domestic varieties provide much more of a reproductive barrier than frankly all of the interspecific goings-on between all the ducks, all the geese, all the Gallus, etc.

Regarding archaeology, I don't think your point is unrelated to mine. If a taxon differentiates itself (e.g. due to speciation) then it is relatively easy to determine whether a bone belongs to an Aurochs or an ox, Tarpan or a horse, a dog or a wolf, etc. (without even considering its location with regard to human settlement). I'll concede that cat bones haven't changed all that much!

As the chicken paper points out, and as other studies have shown (I'm thinking Swan Goose especially), it is notoriously more difficult to determine whether bird bones are domestic or wild varieties... because they haven't changed nearly as much as the mammals have.

 

[Mysticete]

Don't disagree with you...although some of the cat differences really are recent. When I prepared a lecture on mammal domestication for my course, I was surprised to see that the various "non-wildcat coat patterns", with maybe the exception of black cats, are from a mutation that only showed up in the middle ages.

Also, random fun fact...one of the folks active in scientific research on the investigation of the origins of the chicken is actually the current crown prince of Japan, who is a PhD'd ornithologist who has published peer-reviewed papers on the topic. He actually visited the museum I was doing research at during my time I was in Tokyo, but I never got to meet him since I was over in Mammalogy.

I dunno...I always found it fascinating that the Imperial royal family has produced multiple professional biologists, versus other modern royal families whose members don't seem to do much other than appear in tabloids.

 

[Peter Kovalik]

Halligan, S.L., M.L. Schummer, A.M.V. Fournier, P. Lavretsky, J.B. Davis, C.J. Downs, and V. Musni (2025) Morphological differences between wild and game‐farm Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) in North America. Ibis, first published 11 January 2025.

Abstract
Large-scale releases of domesticated, game-farm Mallards Anas platyrhynchos to supplement wild populations have resulted in widespread introgressive hybridization that changed the genetic constitution of wild populations in eastern North America. The resulting gene flow is well documented between game-farm and wild Mallards, but the mechanistic consequences from such interactions remain unknown in North America. We provide the first study to characterize and investigate potential differences in morphology between genetically known, wild and game-farm Mallards in North America. We used nine morphological measurements to discriminate between wild and game-farm Mallards with 96% accuracy. Compared with their wild counterparts, game-farm Mallards had longer bodies and tarsi, shorter heads and wings, and shorter, wider and taller bills. The nail on the end of the bill of game-farm Mallards was longer, and game-farm Mallard bills had a greater lamellae:bill length ratio than wild Mallards. Differences in body morphologies between wild and game-farm Mallards are consistent with an artificial, terrestrial life whereby game-farm Mallards are fed pelleted foods, resulting in artificial selection for a more ‘goose-like’ bill. We posit that: (1) game-farm Mallards have diverged from their wild ancestral traits of flying and filter feeding towards becoming optimized to run and peck for food; (2) game-farm morphological traits optimized over the last 400 years in domestic environments are likely to be maladaptive in the wild; and (3) the introgression of such traits into wild populations is likely to reduce fitness. Understanding the effects of game-farm Mallard introgression requires analysis of various game-farm × wild hybrid generations to determine how domestically derived traits persist or diminish with each generation.

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

A draft proposal to AOU NACC:
Change of genus Sibirionetta to Eunetta because of priority:
Sibirionetta is dated from 1929 with Baikal teal as type. (Nettion formosum) but Bonaparte made Baikal Teal the type species of Eunetta in 1856.
Neither Falcated Teal nor Baikal Teal were listed in the first three Check-list of North American Birds. In the Fourth Edition of the Check-list (1931) “Eunatta Bonaparte, Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. (Paris) XIII, No. 13 (for Sept. 29), 1856, p. 650. Type, by monotypy, Anas falcate Georgi.” Baikal Teal is listed as Nettion formosum on the next page. In the Nineteenth Supplement from a 1944 Auk page 443 Eunetta was merged into Anas. It cited Birds of the World vol. 1 1931 James Peters who says of Anas “The only other alternative is to break it up into a large number of genera and subgenera each one monotypic”. In this month’s Auk Genus SIBIRIONETTA Boetticher
Sibirionetta Boetticher, 1929, Anz. Orn. Ges. Bayern 2: 11. Type, by original designation, Anas formosa, Georgi.
Also in this month’s Auk the committee put Eunetta as a synonym of Mareca:
Genus MARECA Stephens
Mareca Stephens, 1824, in Shaw, Gen. Zool. 12(2): 130.
Type, by subsequent designation (Eyton, 1838),
Mareca fistularis Stephens Anas penelope Lin-
naeus.
Chaulelasmus ‘‘G. R. Gray’’ Bonaparte, 1838, Geogr.
Comp. List, p. 56. Type, by monotypy, Anas strepera
Linnaeus.
Eunetta Bonaparte, 1856, Compte Rendus Acad. Sci.
Paris 43: 650. Type, by monotypy, Anas falcata
Georgi

The committee also informed: Take Eunetta out of the synonymy from Anas.
Eunetta Bonaparte 1856.
Bonaparte CL. 1856. Excursion dans les divers musées d'Allemagne, de Hollande et de Belgique (suite et fin), et Tableaux paralléliques de l'ordre des Palmipèdes. C.-R. Séan. Hebd. Acad. Sci. Paris 43:643-652.; p. 650; [OD]
Originally included nominal species: Anas falcata "Pallas" = Georgi 1775, Anas formosa Georgi 1775, Anas bimaculata "Penn." = Keyserling & Blasius 1840.
Type fixation: subsequent designation...

Would anybody know on which account this name is used for the Falcated Duck? The AOU check-list, as far back as I can trace ([1931]), always made this a type fixation by monotypy, but this is obviously not correct. The Richmond index has three cards for this name:
• The [first one] indicates (correctly) that Bonaparte originally included falcata Pall., formosaGeorgi, and bimaculata "Penn.", noting about falcata:
Quote:
On p. 1025, he says this "n'est pas le type de mon Eunetta."
• The [second one] corrects the authorship of falcata to Georgi and that of bimaculata to Keyserling & Blasius, which are the accepted sources for these names, and notes:
Quote:
subsequently restricted to A. formosa Georgi, by Bonaparte, op. cit., p. 1025.
• The [third one] intimates that the genotype is Eunetta falcata (Georgi) without explanation.
True, writing that something is not the type of a genus, or subsequently restricting a genus to a single species, doesn't amount to a type designation. But what Bonaparte wrote on [p. 1025] is actually only partly quoted in the Richmond index; the full text reads:
Quote:
Anas falcata n'est pas le type de mon genre Eunetta : il est bon de le dire pour ceux qui prétendent que la première espèce énumérée doit être considérée comme telle. Sauf les filets de la queue, ce beau Canard se rapproche bien plus d'Anas acuta que de A. formosa, véritable type du genre tenant de plus prés aux Sarcelles.
= "Anas falcata is not the type of my genus Eunetta : it is good to say it for those who pretend that the first species listed must be considered as such. Except the tail streamers, this nice Duck approaches Anas acuta much more than A. formosa, true type of the genus which is closer to the Teals." (My translation.)
If there is a way to disregard the last sentence, as if it did not constitute a valid type designation, it currently escapes me. Sibirionetta is a junior synonym of Eunetta unless there is another acceptable type fixation than Bonaparte's designation, it could be, yes.
(One possibility to consider, perhaps: given how it is worded, it's not completely unthinkable that Bonaparte's text might be a reaction to someone else having treated falcata as the type; and of course if this hypothetical 'someone else' published it, this might constitute a valid type designation. Caveats: it's a lot of 'if's, I have not seen any such designation, only a couple of months would have been available between the OD and Bonaparte's designation to publish it, and I find no indication that the usual treatment is based on this type of thing.) Degland in 1867 says that formosa is "Type du genre Eunetta" .
Page 523 of https://books.google.com/books?id=Yg...gbs_navlinks_s . Bonaparte named the White-winged Scoter for Degland.
Instead of Sibirionetta the AOU should use Eunetta for Baikal Teal : Eunatta Bonaparte, Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. (Paris) XXXXIII, (for Sept. 29), 1856, p. 650, (for 24 Nov.) 1856 p. 1025. Type, by subsequent designation, Anas formosa Georgi.
Literature cited:
AOU Fourth Ed. Check-list of North American Birds
AOU 19th and 58th Supplement to Check-list
Comptes Rendus Acad. Sci. (Paris) XXXXIII, 1856 .
Anz. Orn. Ges. Bayern 2: 11 1929.
July 18, 2017
Justified Ancients of Mu Mu
Laurent Raty

Laurent I do not know your affiliation.

2025 and nothing has changed

 

[jts1882]

This is from a year ago, but I haven't seen it mentioned. They propose relumping the four Anas genera, although they don't make a formal proposal.

Zhang Z, Ai H, Huang L. Whole-genome sequences restore the original classification of dabbling ducks (genus Anas). Genet Sel Evol. 2024 May 13;56(1):37. doi: 10.1186/s12711-024-00904-8. PMID: 38741064; PMCID: PMC11089735.

Anas, is a genus of dabbling ducks and encompasses a considerable number of species, among which some are the progenitors of domestic ducks. However, the taxonomic position of the Anas genus remains uncertain because several of its species, initially categorized as Anas based on morphological characteristics, were subsequently reclassified and grouped with the South American genus Tachyeres, primarily based on analysis of their mitochondrial gene sequences. Here, we constructed a phylogenetic tree using nine of our recently assembled Anas genomes, two Tachyeres genomes, and one Cairina genome that are publicly available. The results showed that the Northern shoveler (Anas clypeata) and Baikal teal (Anas formosa) clustered with the other Anas species at the whole-genome level rather than with the Steamer ducks (genus Tachyeres). Therefore, we propose to restore the original classification of the Anas genus, which includes the Northern shoveler and Baikal teal species, 47 species in total. Moreover, our study unveiled extensive incomplete lineage sorting and an ancient introgression event from Tachyeres to Anas, which has led to notable phylogenetic incongruence within the Anas genome. This ancient introgression event not only supports the theory that Anas originated in South America but also that it played a significant role in shaping the evolutionary trajectory of Anas, including the domestic duck.

 

[Jim LeNomenclatoriste]

This is from a year ago, but I haven't seen it mentioned. They propose relumping the four Anas genera, although they don't make a formal proposal.

Zhang Z, Ai H, Huang L. Whole-genome sequences restore the original classification of dabbling ducks (genus Anas). Genet Sel Evol. 2024 May 13;56(1):37. doi: 10.1186/s12711-024-00904-8. PMID: 38741064; PMCID: PMC11089735.

lol, no, don't dream

 

[Mysticete]

The authors don't really provide any new evidence, and there suggestion on lumping everything into Anas seems more on of personal preference than anything else. Genera should be monophyletic but just because a clade is monophyletic doesn't mean it should be a single genus.

And bold move to suggest reversing current accepted classification based on a phylogeny of 12 taxa for a tribe with 63 species