Selection-Based Biodiversity at a Small Spatial Scale in a Low-Dispersing Insular Bird
Jacques Blondel,
*
Paula C. Dias,
Philippe Perret,
Marie Maistre,
Marcel M. Lambrechts
The blue tit is a highly mobile small passerine found in deciduous
and evergreen oaks. In mainland populations, gene flow results in local
maladaptive timing of breeding in evergreen oak forests, the rarer
habitat. However, on the island of Corsica, two populations only 25 kilometers apart are highly specialized and differ between the two
habitat types in breeding and morphological traits. In contrast to
theoretical predictions about the homogenizing effects of gene flow,
this highlights evolutionary consequences of habitat diversification
and isolation at a small spatial scale in insular organisms, which
should be taken into account in conservation policies.
Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Centre National de
la Recherche Scientifique, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier cedex
5, France.
*
To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail:
blondel{at}cefe.cnrs-mop.fr
