Identifying mechanisms of genetic differentiation among populations in vagile species: historical factors dominate genetic differentiation in seabirds.

摘要: Elucidating the factors underlying origin and maintenance of genetic variation among populations is crucial for our understanding their ecology evolution, also to help identify conservation priorities. While intrinsic movement has been hypothesized as major determinant population structuring in abundant vagile species, growing evidence indicates that vagility does not always predict differentiation. However, identifying determinants can be challenging, these are largely unknown most species. Although, principle, levels gene flow inferred from neutral allele frequency divergence populations, assumptions may unrealistic. Moreover, molecular studies have suggested contemporary often overridden historical influences on structure, which potential inadequacies any interpretations fail consider influence history shaping structure. This exhaustive review theoretical empirical literature investigates differentiation using seabirds a model system taxa. Seabirds provide tractable group within differentiation, given widespread distribution marine habitats an abundance ecological conducted this group. Herein we evaluate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) 73 seabird Lack mutation–drift equilibrium observed 19% species coincided with lower estimates suggesting dynamic demographic histories lead erroneous flow, even Presence land across sampling range, or breeding colonies representing ice‐free Pleistocene refuge zones, appear associated Tropical Southern Temperate respectively, indicating long‐term barriers persistence important structuring. Conversely, biotic commonly considered such spatial segregation during foraging, were inconsistently In light results, recommend should events when avoid overestimating role factors, highly taxa