Vázquez-López, M., Córtes-Rodríguez, N., Robles-Bello, S.M. et al. Phylogeography and morphometric variation in the Cinnamon Hummingbird complex: Amazilia rutila (Aves: Trochilidae). Avian Res 12, 61 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40657-021-00295-0
I am studying the impact of geographic isolation (historical habitat fragmentation or recent environmental changes) in the evolutionary history of bird species.
This paper explores the phylogeographic patterns within the Cinnamon Hummingbird complex (Amazilia rutila); whose distribution goes from Sinaloa in northwestern Mexico, south along the Pacific Coast (including the Tres Marías Islands) to Costa Rica, and along the coastal plain of the Yucatán Peninsula south to Belize (including “offshore cays”) and northeastern Nicaragua. Analyzing its genetic variation and morphometric differentiation across its geographic distribution the authors concluded that that this species consists of four-well defined clades whose taxonomy should be reevaluated. They are proposing that this species be split into four species: Amazilia graysoni (Tres Marías Islands), Amazilia rutila (Pacifc coast), Amazilia saturata (Chiapas) and Amazilia corallirostris (Yucatán Peninsula and Central America).
This article was the result of collaboration with Dr. Blanca E. Hernandez-Baños and her students (Museo de Zoologia, Facultad de Cienias, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico), Dr. Alfredo Hernadez-Bueno and Dr. Luz E. Zamudio-Beltran (Museo de Zoología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México) and Kristen Ruegg (Department of Biology, Colorado State University).
Photo by: Oscar Rolando Suazo Ortega (eBird)
