MJB
Well-known member
I don't get that conclusion from the paper, I must admit. Re these two groups, the separation dates are estimated at to have split into two major phylogenetic branches, "which might have diverged approximately 100 thousand years ago (Kya) and geographically correspond to Europe-Middle East and Asia-3 America" citing Zink et al 2006 and Dor et al 2010.I just wanted to know, in a short way, if the two main lineages were sufficiently divergent to be treated as two biological species : rustica and erythrogaster
Of more concern, if I've understood the paper correctly, is the apparent inference that the closely-related group, Ethiopian Swallow Hirundo aethiopica, Angola Swallow H. angolensis, White-bibbed Swallow H. nigrita, Wire-tailed Swallow H. smithii and White-throated Swallow H. albigularis are recently separated from Barn Swallow H. rustica, but it dates only the divergence between H. rustica and H. aethiopica, the most closely related species, at 493Kya, which would indicate a possible future lump?
The paper's dispersal map places erythrogaster in North America >51Kya, with tytleri emrging from it into the easternmost Palearctic <21Kya.
MJB
Dor R, RJ Safran, FH Sheldon, DW Winkler and IJ Lovette. 2010. Phylogeny of the genus Hirundo and the barn swallow subspecies complex. Mol. Phyl. Evol. 56(1): 409-418.
Zink RM, A Pavlova, S Rohwer and SV Drovetski. 2006. Barn swallows before barns: population histories and intercontinental colonization. Proc. Bio. Sci. 273(1591): 1245-1251.