Systematics and genomic architecture of Piculus flavigula (Boddaert, 1783) (Aves: Picidae)

• Grant number: 24/18369-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology
• Principal Investigator: Vagner Aparecido Cavarzere Junior
• Grantee: Enrico Lopes Breviglieri
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/07032-2 - Systematics and genomic architecture of Piculus flavigula (Boddeart, 1819) (Aves: Picidae), BE.EP.MS

Abstract

Taxonomic revisions of species with complex nomenclatural histories are fundamental for the study and conservation of biodiversity. Piculus flavigula includes three subspecies: P. f. flavigula, P. f. magnus and P. f. erythropis, all diagnosable and distributed allopatrically. The first two occur north and south of the Amazon River, respectively, whereas the third taxon is endemic to the Atlantic Forest, in which three allopatric populations exist: one in the south-southeast, another in the central corridor (between northern Rio de Janeiro and southern Bahia), and one restricted to the Pernambuco Endemism Center. I will carry out a taxonomic revision of the P. flavigula complex based on genetic, morphological, and vocal evidence. To measure the level of reproductive isolation between taxa, I will sequence the complete genome of an individual of P. flavigula, as well as, at 20X coverage, 20 other specimens from museums, representing the three taxa of the complex. I will measure morphometric characters, and code the plumage coloration of museum specimens under the scrutiny of the avian visual model. I will analyze vocalizations from vocal databases by embedding a pre-trained neural network model and classifying the vocalizations using a supervised model (Support Vector Machine) in the search for taxonomic information. I will use Multivariate Analysis of Variance to analyze the morphometric and bioacoustic data to determine differences between populations, as well as Linear Discriminant Analysis to visually identify the drivers that influence differentiations. With the characterization of genetic variation in the genomic landscape combined with the results relating to morphological and vocal structures, I wish to identify how many lineages are within the P. flavigula complex, and to determine their threat status.