Le Gorfou sauteur du Nord élevé au rang d’espèce

The taxonomic status of populations of rockhopper penguins (Eudyptes chrysocome) is still enigmatic. Northern populations differ from southern ones in breeding phenology, song characteristics and head ornaments used as mating signals. We conducted a molecular analysis using mitochondrial DNA sequencing to test if there is a gene flow barrier between northern (subtropical) populations and southern (subantarctic) populations in relation to the Subtropical Convergence, a major ecological boundary for marine organisms. Sequences of genes were analyzed in rockhopper penguins and in the macaroni penguin (Eudyptes chrysolophus), a closely related species. Genetic distances and phylogenetic analyses showed a clear split into three clades, two rockhopper clades and the macaroni penguin. And a suggested genetic structuring within the northern rockhoppers was discovered. Our results add further support to the notion that the two rockhopper penguin taxa, often considered as two subspecies, can be recognized as two species, Eudyptes chrysocome and E. moseleyi.
The divergence in mating signals found between these two taxa seems to have occurred recently and relatively rapidly. Thus, the behavioural changes may have been enough to isolate these taxa without the need for morphological differentiation. The findings have important conservational implications, since (Eudyptes moseleyi) is far less abundant than (E. chrysocome), but more populations may warrant an uplisting to Endangered status if full species status should be recognised for more subpopulations.
We propose you a synthesis of this study published in the Molecular Ecology journal.