Friday, February 15, 2008
Genetic Study Supports Boundaries of Spotted Owl Subspecies
In a recent paper, USGS and U.S. Forest Service scientists report the results of one of the largest genetic studies of any threatened bird species and the first to test subspecies boundaries in spotted owls. There is long-standing interest in determining the number and boundaries of these subspecies because the northern and Mexican spotted owls are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), but the California subspecies is not. The results support the current subspecies boundaries and confirm previous suggestions that northern and California spotted owls hybridize in a narrow zone between southern Oregon and northern California. The study also detected some hybridization between northern and Mexican spotted owls in Washington state. These results have important implications for the conservation of spotted owls, particularly for ESA-listed northern and Mexican spotted owls.
Funk, W., Forsman, E.D., Mullins, T.D., Haig, S.M., 2008, Introgression and dispersal among spotted owl (Strix occidentalis) subspecies: Evolutionary Applications, v. 1, no. 1, p. 161-171. [FullText] Catalog No: 1975
Contact:
Susan
Haig,
FRESC,
541-750-7482,
susan_haig@usgs.gov
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