Overwintering and Resident Birds in Qatar: Explorations With DNA Barcoding
ABSTRACT Genetic research is unevenly distributed across the globe, with most research done in temperate zones. To better understand the birdlife in an under‐represented, arid subtropical country, Qatar, we blood sampled birds and salvaged tissue from dead birds, then sequenced a mitochondrial marke...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71817 |
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| author | Emily Rebecca Alison Cramer Kuei‐Chiu Chen Arild Johnsen |
| author_facet | Emily Rebecca Alison Cramer Kuei‐Chiu Chen Arild Johnsen |
| author_sort | Emily Rebecca Alison Cramer |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Genetic research is unevenly distributed across the globe, with most research done in temperate zones. To better understand the birdlife in an under‐represented, arid subtropical country, Qatar, we blood sampled birds and salvaged tissue from dead birds, then sequenced a mitochondrial marker (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI, the “DNA barcoding” gene). We chose the DNA barcoding gene because it has previously proven useful for preliminary explorations of evolutionary history. We obtained DNA barcodes for 115 birds (34 species, 12 orders). Our data suggest that the existing DNA barcode reference library, built largely from sampling in the Americas, Europe, and east Asia, is generally sufficient for species identification in Qatar. Based on DNA barcode similarity, Qatar provides overwintering habitat to some species with apparent strong migratory connectivity and others with weaker migratory connectivity. Among locally breeding species, we found no evidence of hybridization between House Sparrows Passer domesticus (n = 16 males) and Spanish Sparrows P. hispaniolensis (n = 14 males), breeding simultaneously and in the same habitats, although in other locations of range overlap, habitat segregation and timing of breeding are hypothesized to be the primary reproductive barrier between them. Our results highlight the benefits of expanding the geographic range of genetic and ecological research. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bd98a5d9aa794c509309411e07badcf1 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-bd98a5d9aa794c509309411e07badcf12025-08-20T02:46:14ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-07-01157n/an/a10.1002/ece3.71817Overwintering and Resident Birds in Qatar: Explorations With DNA BarcodingEmily Rebecca Alison Cramer0Kuei‐Chiu Chen1Arild Johnsen2Marine Sciences, Tjärnö Marine Laboratory University of Gothenburg Strömstad SwedenDepartment of Premedical Education Weill Cornell Medicine‐Qatar Education City QatarNatural History Museum University of Oslo Oslo NorwayABSTRACT Genetic research is unevenly distributed across the globe, with most research done in temperate zones. To better understand the birdlife in an under‐represented, arid subtropical country, Qatar, we blood sampled birds and salvaged tissue from dead birds, then sequenced a mitochondrial marker (cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, COI, the “DNA barcoding” gene). We chose the DNA barcoding gene because it has previously proven useful for preliminary explorations of evolutionary history. We obtained DNA barcodes for 115 birds (34 species, 12 orders). Our data suggest that the existing DNA barcode reference library, built largely from sampling in the Americas, Europe, and east Asia, is generally sufficient for species identification in Qatar. Based on DNA barcode similarity, Qatar provides overwintering habitat to some species with apparent strong migratory connectivity and others with weaker migratory connectivity. Among locally breeding species, we found no evidence of hybridization between House Sparrows Passer domesticus (n = 16 males) and Spanish Sparrows P. hispaniolensis (n = 14 males), breeding simultaneously and in the same habitats, although in other locations of range overlap, habitat segregation and timing of breeding are hypothesized to be the primary reproductive barrier between them. Our results highlight the benefits of expanding the geographic range of genetic and ecological research.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71817avifaunacytochrome c oxidase I (COI)DNA barcodingMiddle Eastmigration |
| spellingShingle | Emily Rebecca Alison Cramer Kuei‐Chiu Chen Arild Johnsen Overwintering and Resident Birds in Qatar: Explorations With DNA Barcoding Ecology and Evolution avifauna cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) DNA barcoding Middle East migration |
| title | Overwintering and Resident Birds in Qatar: Explorations With DNA Barcoding |
| title_full | Overwintering and Resident Birds in Qatar: Explorations With DNA Barcoding |
| title_fullStr | Overwintering and Resident Birds in Qatar: Explorations With DNA Barcoding |
| title_full_unstemmed | Overwintering and Resident Birds in Qatar: Explorations With DNA Barcoding |
| title_short | Overwintering and Resident Birds in Qatar: Explorations With DNA Barcoding |
| title_sort | overwintering and resident birds in qatar explorations with dna barcoding |
| topic | avifauna cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) DNA barcoding Middle East migration |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71817 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT emilyrebeccaalisoncramer overwinteringandresidentbirdsinqatarexplorationswithdnabarcoding AT kueichiuchen overwinteringandresidentbirdsinqatarexplorationswithdnabarcoding AT arildjohnsen overwinteringandresidentbirdsinqatarexplorationswithdnabarcoding |