Abstract
The exact species status of New Zealand's extinct moa remains unknown. In particular, moa belonging to the genus Euryapteryx have been difficult to classify. We use the DNA barcoding sequence on a range of Euryapteryx samples in an attempt to resolve the species status for this genus. We obtained mitochondrial control region and the barcoding region from Cytochrome Oxidase Subunit I (COI) from a number of new moa samples and use available sequences from previous moa phylogenies and eggshell data to try and clarify the species status of Euryapteryx. Using the COI barcoding region we show that species status in Euryapteryx is complex with no clear separation between various individuals. Eggshell, soil, and bone data suggests that a Euryapteryx subspecies likely exists on New Zealand's North Island and can be characterized by a single mitochondrial control region SNP. COI divergences between Euryapteryx individuals from the south of New Zealand's South Island and those from the Far North of the North Island exceed 1.6% and are likely to represent separate species. Individuals from other areas of New Zealand were unable to be clearly separated based on COI differences possibly as a result of repeated hybridisation events. Despite the accuracy of the COI barcoding region to determine species status in birds, including that for the other moa genera, for moa from the genus Euryapteryx, COI barcoding fails to provide a clear result, possibly as a consequence of repeated hybridisation events between these moa. A single control region SNP was identified however that segregates with the two general morphological variants determined for Euryapteryx; a smaller subspecies restricted to the North Island of New Zealand, and a larger subspecies, found on both New Zealand's North and South Island.
Highlights
The extinct moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) of New Zealand represented one of the fastest radiations known for birds [1]
The results obtained from these sequences provide a clearer picture of the species status of Euryapteryx and suggest that two species of Euryapteryx may have existed during the Holocene as well as a subspecies that is found solely on New Zealand’s North Island
Similar to the results obtained using the,0.8% Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I (COI) divergence cut-off, loose groupings are found for Euryapteryx samples from the far north of the North Island and the south of the South Island with multiple interactions of indivuals from these groups with those from other locations (Figure 1A)
Summary
The extinct moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) of New Zealand represented one of the fastest radiations known for birds [1]. Euryapteryx are difficult to separate into distinct clades with two large scale analyses based on mitochondrial sequences suggesting two possible clades; one in the Far North of New Zealand, and one in the far south [3,4]. Mitochondrial control region sequences from Euryapteryx samples outside the far north and far south regions fail to form geographically distinct clades with samples from each island grouping together, a feature not shown by any other moa species [3,4]. The results obtained from these sequences provide a clearer picture of the species status of Euryapteryx and suggest that two species of Euryapteryx may have existed during the Holocene as well as a subspecies (possibly attributable to E. curtus curtus) that is found solely on New Zealand’s North Island
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