Molecular assessment of the taxonomic status of Cox's Sandpiper

Abstract

To determine whether Calidris paramelanotos is a distinct species or a hybrid, DNA sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene were obtained from it, as well as from C. ferruginea and C. melanotos. The sequences of the first two taxa were identical whereas that of C. melanotos differed by 9%. It is argued that C. paramelanotos is a hybrid taxon with C ferruginea constituting the maternal parent. This conclusion, combined with comparisons of protein allozyme variation effectively rule out all but one of the crosses postulated for its hybrid origin-C. ferruginea x C. melanotos.