The Open Ornithology Journal
2020, 13 : 24-33Published online 2020 August 19. DOI: 10.2174/1874453202013010024
Publisher ID: TOOENIJ-13-24
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Description of New American Carduelis/Spinus Bird Species in La Paz (Bolivia): .
*Address correspondence to this author at the Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, University Complutense, Madrid, Spain; Tel: +34 913941632; +34 606993161; E-mails: , and aarnaiz@med.ucm.es
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
South American siskins (Genus Carduelis/Spinus) are the outcome of regional evolutionary radiation from an extant (or other extinct) species: C. notata, a North America siskin, which thrives in Mexico subtropical areas and is parental of one of the three described North American siskin radiations.
Methods:
Speciation and/or subspeciation of this South American siskin radiation have probably occurred during Pleistocene Epoch. In the present paper, a new species/subspecies akin to C./S. atrata is described by genetic and phenotypic parameters: this new species/subspecies was previously considered a subspecies of C./S. xanthogastra, which thrives further North and is separated about 1,762 km, 1,094 miles, from this described subspecies, Carduelis/ Spinus xanthogastra stejnegeri.
Results:
Our genetic study using mt cyt b, phenotypic and behavior observations show that this putative C./S. xanthogastra subspecies is either a different species or a C./S.atrata subspecies; we have proposed a provisional name for this finch, C./S. lapazensis, instead of C./S. x. stejnegeri.
Conclusion:
Species definition is movable and controversial, and it is uncertain in South American siskins, which all show a close genetic and phenotypical relationship, which may be still immersed in speciation processes since Pleistocene Epoch.