The use of microsatellite loci for accurate hybrid detection in a recent contact zone between an endangered and a recently-arrived hummingbird Die Anwendbarkeit von Microsatelliten Loci für exakte Hybrid Identifizierung einer neuen Überlappungszone zwisch

Abstract

Interspecies hybridisation frequently occurs when the distributional ranges of two closely-related species overlap after a period of geographic isolation. From a conservation perspective, such hybridisation events can incur detrimental effects on the viability of each species involved, especially for species which are already threatened by other ecological processes, such as human-induced declines in population size. The early and accurate detection of hybrids within recent contact zones is therefore of crucial importance for conservation strategies. A recent contact zone occurs in the north of Chile between the endangered Chilean Woodstar (Eulidia yarrellii) and the non-native and recently-arrived Peruvian Sheartail (Thaumastura cora), which expanded its range from Peru into Chile during the 1970s. Several factors suggest that these species may be hybridising. We here describe a set of microsatellite loci which prove to be a powerful tool in detecting F1 hybrids and backcrosses betwee