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Science 21 October 2005:
Vol. 310. no. 5747, pp. 502 - 504
DOI: 10.1126/science.1115661
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Reports

Assortative Mating as a Mechanism for Rapid Evolution of a Migratory Divide

Stuart Bearhop,1* Wolfgang Fiedler,2 Robert W. Furness,3 Stephen C. Votier,5 Susan Waldron,4 Jason Newton,6 Gabriel J. Bowen,7 Peter Berthold,2 Keith Farnsworth1

There have been numerous recent observations of changes in the behavior and dynamics of migratory bird populations, but the plasticity of the migratory trait and our inability to track small animals over large distances have hindered investigation of the mechanisms behind migratory change. We used habitat-specific stable isotope signatures to show that recently evolved allopatric wintering populations of European blackcaps Sylvia atricapilla pair assortatively on their sympatric breeding grounds. Birds wintering further north also produce larger clutches and fledge more young. These findings describe an important process in the evolution of migratory divides, new migration routes, and wintering quarters. Temporal segregation of breeding is a way in which subpopulations of vertebrates may become isolated in sympatry.

1 School of Biology and Biochemistry, Medical Biological Centre, Lisburn Road, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT6 7BL, UK.
2 Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Vogelwarte Radolfzell, Schlossallee 2, D-78315 Radolfzell, Germany.
3 Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building; University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
4 Centre for Geosciences, Department of Geography and Geomatics; University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK.
5 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK.
6 Life Sciences Community Stable Isotope Facility, Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre, East Kilbride, Glasgow G75 0QF, UK.
7 Department of Biology, University of Utah, 257 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA.

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: s.bearhop{at}qub.ac.uk

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)