Historical demography of bird populations from Hispaniola assessed by nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences

Abstract

Molecular markers can be used to infer the demographic history of a given species, but many historic processes simultaneously impact multiple species. Thus, comparative historical demography has the potential to provide insight into drivers of evolution. In this study, we used nuclear DNA (nDNA) sequences to corroborate (or refute) demographic inferences based on earlier mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) data from 16 species of Hispaniola birds. Our previously published analysis suggested population expansion in five of six migratory species (following glacial retreat in North America), with less evidence of expansion in non-migratory species.