E-Locus - Institutional Repository of the University of Crete

Home Collections Type of Work Post-graduate theses

Post-graduate theses

Current Record: 4668 of 6543

[Add to Basket]

Identifier

000380685

Title

Μελέτη της φυλογενετικής ιστορίας και οικολογίας του γένους Passer στο νησί της Κρήτης

Alternative Title

Phylogenetic and ecological study of Passer genus in the island of Crete

Author

Παπαστεφάνου, Γαβριέλλα

Thesis advisor

Πουλακάκης, Νικόλαος

Abstract

Names like: “common sparrow” or “housesparrow” belong to the species Passer domesticus and they haven’t been given to it by chance. This species is already distributed around the world and has been introduced successfully in many countries following human expansion, as it mostly uses human activity in order to feed and build its nests. It is known to hybridize with other species like P. hispaniolensis and the hybrid P. domesticus italiae is found mostly throughout the Italian peninsula. The common sparrow in Crete morphologically resembles this hybrid and in bibliography it is referred as such. The goal of this master thesis is to clarify the position of the Cretan sparrow among the other Passer species of the island and Greece from a morphological, genetic and ecological point of view. For that purpose wing, bill and tarsus measurements have been taken from 117 individuals belonging to the collection of the National History Museum of Crete (NHMC) and from sparrows caught using mist-nets in several regions of the island. Samples from these individuals were used for genetic analyses of the mitochondrial genes ND2 (subunit 2 of mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase-ubiquinone) and cyt b (cytochrome b). The ecological aspect has been approached by studying the effect of several environmental variables such as photoperiod, temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction on roosting behavior. 980 individuals belonging to two species P. domesticus and P. hispaniolensis roosted in the studied area and several behavioral treats were measured such as the time at which they left and returned to the roost during the sunrise and sunset, the number of individuals in groups of different sizes, the duration of their departure and return, the duration of their stay in the roost, and the direction they followed while leaving and returning. The results of the morphological measurements fail to indicate the difference in size between the Cretan common sparrow and P. hispaniolensis. Ecologically speaking, temperature and humidity were proven to affect several behaviors during roosting but no statistically distinct differences have been shown between the two species. Last but not least, the genetic analyses of the ND2 and cytb gene create three different clades. The first for P. montanus, the second for P. hispaniolensis and the third included P. domesticus, the Cretan common sparrow and P. italiae domesticus. Therefore, most of the results in this thesis define the Cretan sparrow as P. domesticus. However, more analyses both genetic and ecological should be done before the Cretan sparrow receives its “final” position in bird taxonomy.

Language

Greek

Subject

Mitochondrial DNA

Morphometry

Phylogeny

Roosting behavior

Μιτοχονδριακό DNA

Μορφομετρία

Συμπεριφορά Κουρνιάσματος

Φυλογένεση

Issue date