Phylogeography and genetic characteristics of a putative secondary-contact zone of the loggerhead shrike in central and eastern North America
The loggerhead shrike (Lanius ludovicianus) is found throughout North America in grassland and open scrub habitats. We previously described four loggerhead shrike management units found in central and eastern North America within the geographic ranges of three subspecies, L. l. migrans, L. l. ludovicianus, and L. l. excubitorides. A contact zone has been suggested to occur between L. l. migrans and L. l. excubitorides. The present study uses mitochondrial DNA sequence data to explore historical, ecological, and geographical factors that may have played a role in the genetic differentiation of these four management units, and examines the evidence for and characteristics of the migransexcubitorides contact zone. Geographically discrete, monophyletic clades were not evident, but the distribution of haplotypes (especially those exceeding 10% overall frequency) indicated some phylogeographic structure that perhaps reflects an intermediate stage of differentiation between paraphyly and reciprocal monophyly. The contact zone between L. l. migrans and L. l. excubitorides is supported by the mixing of haplotypes unique to each of the hybridizing populations and intermediate frequencies of common haplotypes. We interpret these patterns as possibly reflecting the impact of both glacial refugial dynamics and anthropogenic changes to habitat in eastern North America.