Kolchanova, Sofiia

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    Molecular phylogeny and evolution of Amazon parrots in the Greater Antilles
    (2018-05) Kolchanova, Sofiia; Oleksyk, Taras K.; College of Arts and Sciences - Sciences; Majeske, Audrey; Martínez Cruzado, Juan Carlos; Vélez Díaz, Ana; Department of Biology; Cáceres Valencia, Pablo
    Genus Amazona is a unique group of Neotropical parrots distributed across South and Central America, as well as in the Caribbean Islands. It is characterized by vocal learning, high intelligence, social structure, longevity, diverse coloration patterns and habitats. There is a number of island species among them, which represent promising study cases for evolutionary biology. According to the 2016 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals, 20 of the 35 recognized species of Amazons are listed as either vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. Despite all notoriety, this is a relatively poorly studied group: substantial parts of its evolutionary history remain unresolved, since the so far published phylogenies suggest contradictory scenarios concerning directions of islands-mainland colonization. In our study we are hoping to shed light on the phylogenetic relationships within the group of Greater Antillean amazons, evolution of their mitochondrial genomes and to provide some useful data for further genomic research as well as for the endangered species recovery programs. We have sequenced, assembled and annotated mitochondrial genomes of 7 species – A. vittata (Puerto Rican amazon), A. ventralis (Hispaniolan amazon), A. leucocephala (Cuban amazon), A. albifrons (white-fronted amazon), A. agilis (black-billed Jamaican amazon), A. collaria (yellow-billed amazon), Amazona rhodocorytha (red-browed amazon) and a potential extinct subspecies of A. vittata from Vieques island. We have run Bayesian analyses on this data in order to resolve phylogenetic relationships within the group and to assess possible island colonization scenarios.