Extreme mitogenomic divergence between two syntopic specimens of Arremon aurantiirostris (Aves: Emberizidae) in central Panama suggests possible cryptic species

• Published in: Mitochondrial DNA. Part A. DNA mapping, sequencing, and analysis Vol. 27; no. 5; pp. 3451 - 3453
• Main Authors: López, Krisangel, Angeli, Cody, Aguilar, Celestino, Loaiza, Jose R., De León, Luis Fernando, McMillan, W. Owen, Miller, Matthew J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 02.09.2016
• Subjects: Animals; Genome Size; Genome, Mitochondrial; Mitochondria - genetics; Mitogenome; NADH Dehydrogenase - genetics; neotropical bird; Panama; Phylogeny; secondary contact; Sequence Analysis, DNA - methods; Sparrows - classification; Sparrows - genetics; Species Specificity; neotropical bird; Mitogenome; secondary contact
• ISSN: 2470-1394; 2470-1408
• DOI: 10.3109/19401736.2015.1066344

We report the complete mitochondrial genome of two specimens of Orange-billed Sparrow Arremon aurantiirostris from Colón Province, in central Panama. The two specimens were collected on the same day, and at the same locality; however, they showed substantial divergence (6.3% average pairwise divergence among coding genes). A survey of ND2 sequence variation across Panama suggests that this divergence is the result of geographic differentiation and secondary contact. This high level of mitochondrial divergence among co-occurring individuals raises the possibility of multiple biological species in Orange-billed Sparrows. Our results are yet another demonstration that much remains to be discovered regarding avian biodiversity in Panama and throughout the Neotropics.