New genetic resources and a preliminary multi-locus assessment of species boundaries in the Batis capensis species complex (Passeriformes: Platysteridae)

Species boundaries within the African Batises, small forest and savanna dwelling insectivorous birds, remain a challenge given complex distributions of plumage, call, and eye-color phenotypes throughout their distributional range. The relatively recent delineation of two species within Batis mixta: B. mixta and Batis crypta based on morphological and mitochondrial sequence data, suggests that further evaluation of the genetic diversity of these birds is needed to best determine taxonomic limits. Towards that end, we isolated, developed, and characterized new nuclear microsatellite loci to help provide clarification of species boundaries within the Batis capensis species group, and performed preliminary assessment of genetic structure for B. crypta, B. mixta, and B. capensis. We found that the new markers were highly polymorphic, and PCR-amplified across species. Using these markers we recovered three well-defined clusters of individuals, providing nuclear evidence consistent with the distinctiveness of the three taxa. This suggests that these markers will have utility for phylogeographic and population genetic analyses for batises, a diverse radiation of African corvoid birds. [Display omitted] •Nine polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed and tested in Batis crypta.•Markers were successfully cross-amplified in two closely related species.•Preliminary analyses support the distinctiveness of B. crypta and Batis mixta.•These nuclear markers will be useful for assessing population structure within and among Batis species.