Genetic History of Woodpeckers, Based on mtDNA Sequences

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9316452 Moore The woodpeckers are a large group of birds, numbering about 171 species, and are distributed over four continents. Despite this diversity, the fossil record and the degree of genetic differentiation in the group suggest the woodpeckers are young in age, originating only about 6 million years ago. In addition to being specialized for chiseling and drumming on wood, woodpeckers are characterized by bright and contrasting plumage patterns that are highly distinctive among species. Our present understanding of the history of this group is based largely on plumage similarities. Reconstructions of history based on molecular, DNA structure of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene indicate that there is substantial misunderstanding of woodpecker relationships, and there are numerous cases where plumage patterns are similar due to independent history rather than common ancestry. The PI will expand his preliminary work to reconstruct the genetic history of the woodpeckers based on a long sequence of the cytochrome b gene for approximately 200 specimens representing all the major groups of woodpeckers. In addition to clarifying our understanding of the genetic history of a major group of birds, the study will serve as a model for understanding the relationship between the histories of individual genes (cytochrome b) and species (the woodpeckers). ***