title: Nuclear DNA from the extinct Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) confirms a single origin of New World pigeons.
abstract: Passenger Pigeons (Ectopistes migratorius) were once the most abundant bird in North America, with flock sizes estimated in the billions. However, by the turn of the 20th century, this previously abundant species had been driven to extinction. Morphological analyses linked the Passenger Pigeon with the New World mourning doves of the genus Zenaida. However, mitochondrial analyses strongly support its placement within the group of typical pigeons and doves (New and Old World pigeons, cuckoo-doves, turtledoves). Here, the first nuclear DNA sequence obtained for this extinct species confirms the placement of the Passenger Pigeon as sister to the New World pigeons, Patagioenas. These findings have implications for the colonization of North America by pigeons and doves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16801, United States. tlf19@psu.edu
authors.forename: Tara L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Fulton
authors.forename: Stephen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Wagner
authors.forename: Clemency
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Shapiro
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D002965:Classification; D010856:Columbidae / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000235:genetics*; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004247:DNA