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Lobophorais a common tropical to temperate genus of brown algae found in a plethora of habitats including shallow and deep‐water coral reefs, rocky shores, mangroves, seagrass beds, and rhodoliths beds. Recent molecular studies have revealed thatLobophoraspecies diversity has been severely underestimated. Current estimates of the species numbers range from 100 to 140 species with a suggested center of diversity in the Central Indo‐Pacific. This study used three molecular markers (cox3,rbcL,psbA), different single‐marker species delimitation methods (GMYC,ABGD,PTP), and morphological evidence to evaluateLobophoraspecies diversity in the Western Atlantic and the Eastern Pacific oceans.Cox3 provided the greatest number of primary species hypotheses(PSH), followed byrbcL and thenpsbA.GMYCspecies delimitation analysis was the most conservative across all three markers, followed byPTP, and then ABGD. The most informative diagnostic morphological characters were thallus thickness and number of cell layers in both the medulla and the dorsal/ventral cortices. Following a consensus approach, 14 distinctLobophoraspecies were identified in the Western Atlantic and five in the Eastern Pacific. Eight new species from these two oceans were herein described:L. adpressasp. nov.,L. cocoensissp. nov.,L. colombianasp. nov.,L. crispatasp. nov.,L. delicatasp. nov.,L. dispersasp. nov.,L. panamensissp. nov., andL. tortugensissp. nov. This study showed that the best approach to confidently identifyLobophoraspecies is to analyzeDNAsequences (preferablycox3 andrbcL) followed by comparative morphological and geographical assessment.
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This content will become publicly available on January 1, 2026
Repeated Successful Nest Sharing and Cooperation Between Western Kingbirds ( Tyrannus verticalis ) and a Female Western Kingbird × Scissor‐Tailed Flycatcher ( T. forficatus ) Hybrid
ABSTRACT Nest sharing by birds, or the phenomenon where multiple individuals of different species contribute genetically and parentally to offspring in a single nest, is a rare form of cooperative breeding that has only occasionally been reported in socially monogamous birds. Here we describe, both behaviorally and genetically, the unique case of two female birds, a western kingbird (Tyrannus verticalis) and a western kingbird × scissor‐tailed flycatcher (T. forficatus) hybrid, simultaneously occupying (and likely co‐incubating eggs in) a single nest. Both females provisioned nestlings, and they did this in two consecutive years (producing four fledglings each year). Genomic data from the females revealed that they were unrelated, and parentage analyses revealed that both females contributed genetically to at least one of the offspring, and at least two fathers were involved. These observations represent the first reported case of nest sharing involving a hybrid individual and the first case within the family Tyrannidae.
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- Award ID(s):
- 2151820
- PAR ID:
- 10615335
- Publisher / Repository:
- Wiley
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- Ecology and Evolution
- Volume:
- 15
- Issue:
- 1
- ISSN:
- 2045-7758
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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