Abstract
Parrots (Psittaciformes) are a well-studied, diverse group of birds distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. Today, one-third of their species face extinction, mainly due to anthropogenic threats. Emerging tools in genetics have made major contributions to understanding basic and applied aspects of parrot biology in the wild and in captivity. In this review, we show how genetic methods have transformed the study of parrots by summarising important milestones in the advances of genetics and their implementations in research on parrots. We describe how genetics helped to further knowledge in specific research fields with a wide array of examples from the literature that address the conservation significance of (1) deeper phylogeny and historical biogeography; (2) species- and genus-level systematics and taxonomy; (3) conservation genetics and genomics; (4) behavioural ecology; (5) molecular ecology and landscape genetics; and (6) museomics and historical DNA. Finally, we highlight knowledge gaps to inform future genomic research on parrots. Our review shows that the application of genetic techniques to the study of parrot biology has far-reaching implications for addressing diverse research aims in a highly threatened and charismatic clade of birds.
Highlights
The order of parrots (Psittaciformes) contains a diverse group of species distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical regions [1,2]
Some species have been introduced to regions outside their natural ranges, including cities worldwide [9], where they may be perceived as pests [10]
The species is the widely accepted default unit used for evaluating conservation status, defining species and resolving taxonomic uncertainties by genetic techniques is important for conservation [105]
Summary
The order of parrots (Psittaciformes) contains a diverse group of species distributed mainly in tropical and subtropical regions [1,2]. The most important threats affecting parrots are anthropogenic and include agricultural expansion, the wildlife trade, logging, climate change, and invasive alien species [3,4]. In the Afrotropics, the illicit wildlife trade has the biggest impact followed by agriculture and logging [3,6,7], and in the regions of Oceania and Indomalaya, logging and invasive species are the most critical threats to the survival of the endemic parrot species [8]. The discipline of genetics (using it in this review for all methods that include molecular analysis of DNA) has made a major contribution to understanding the natural world. We review what has been learned through the use of different genetic methods applied to parrot studies in past decades and in the current era of genomics. The aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of this field and highlight knowledge gaps to inform future genomic research on parrots
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