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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Limicola" data-source="post: 2827369" data-attributes="member: 47278">Here comes the requested summary.See: <a href="http://www.limicola.de/limicola-gesamtverzeichnis.html" target="_blank">http://www.limicola.de/limicola-gesamtverzeichnis.html</a>Winkler, H., W. van Dongen & J. Hering (2013): Der enigmatische Teichrohrsänger-Komplex Acrocephalus [scirpaceus]: Zimtrohrsänger A. baeticatus auf der Iberischen Halbinsel? Limicola 26: 310-321.The enigmatic reed-warbler-complex Acrocephalus [scirpaceus]: African Reed Warblers A. baeticatus  in the Iberian Peninsula?Recent years have seen great progress in our understanding of the distribution and population history of the Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus. However, many aspects still remain unclear, and the systematics and taxonomy of this superspecies still need to be resolved. While Eurasian migratory populations are sometimes treated as conspecific with the African Reed Warblers, recent texts treat these two groups as different species, Acrocephalus scirpaceus and A. baeticatus (del Hoyo et al. 2006, Fregin et al. 2009, Kennerley & Pearson 2010) with an assumed African origin (Leisler & Schulze-Hagen 2011).Within the migratory scirpaceus group, two subspecies are recognized, consisting of the western nominate form, and the eastern fuscus subspecies that breeds from eastern Turkey, the Levant and eastwards from the north Caspian area. These two subspecies are not separated by a geographical gap or barrier. Procházka et al. (2011) analysed highly variable genetic markers (microsatellites) of the nuclear genome in A. scirpaceus, and found indications for a genetic discontinuity that is farther west than suggested by the subspecies limits described above. In their analyses, the authors also found a discontinuity that passes through the Iberian Peninsula.In this study, samples from the whole distribution area from Kazakhstan over Saudi Arabia and North Africa to Europe were used. The genetic analyses were based mainly on the maternally inherited mitochondrial genome, focusing on a section of the second copy of the highly variable control region (cf. Singh et al. 2008), and on the cytochrome b gene. According to these analyses, Iberian populations are more closely related to North African populations and those of northern Senegal, than to nominate scirpaceus and western fuscus. Following current systematic treatment, they should be classified as African Reed Warblers.However, it still remains to be shown that the latter are a close-knit group. It may well be that Iberian and North African birds constitute the remnants of a glacial refuge and are more closely related to scirpaceus than to nominate and other subspecies of “baeticatus”. However, formulating any taxonomic consequences is premature as most parts of the African warbler breeding locations were not sampled. It is suggested that field ornithologists collect more data on the distribution, breeding and moulting phenology of round-winged reed warblers.</blockquote>

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