Data from: Phylogeography of willow grouse (Lagopus lagopus) in the Arctic: taxonomic discordance as inferred from molecular data

Using independently segregating nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and mitochondrial control region sequences, we found an east–west division among sampled willow grouse Lagopus lagopus subspecies. This division cut across the range of the subspecies with the largest distribution (lagopus) and thus contradicted existing taxonomic classifications. Russian Lagopus lagopus lagopus tended to cluster with North American willow grouse partly classified as other subspecies. Scandinavian willow grouse (L. l. lagopus) clustered with red grouse from Britain and Ireland (Lagopus lagopus scoticus and Lagopus lagopus hibernicus) but substructuring confirmed the monophyly of the latter. In North America, we could not detect any major genetic divisions apart from two birds described as alexandrae from the Heceta Island (Alaska) when using mitochondrial sequences. Other samples from North America were intermingled regardless of whether they were described as muriei, alexandrae or lagopus. A specimen described as alexandrae was to some extent distinct when analysing the SNP data. The genetic analyses indicated some concordance between genetics and taxonomy but not complete congruence. This is particularly evident for mitochondrial DNA network analyses. We suggest that the taxonomy of this species would benefit by a careful re-examination of the available evidence for subspecies. It appears as if subspecies status is a poor proxy for assigning evolutionary significant units and management units in this species.本研究借助独立分离的核单核苷酸多态性（single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs）与线粒体控制区序列，对采样获取的柳雷鸟（Lagopus lagopus）亚种开展遗传分析，结果显示其种群存在东西向分化格局。该分化跨越了分布范围最广的亚种（L. l. lagopus）的分布区，因此与现有分类学界定相悖。俄罗斯境内的柳雷鸟指名亚种（Lagopus lagopus lagopus）倾向于与部分被划分为其他亚种的北美柳雷鸟聚类在一起。斯堪的纳维亚半岛的柳雷鸟（L. l. lagopus）与产自英国及爱尔兰的红松鸡（Lagopus lagopus scoticus和Lagopus lagopus hibernicus）聚类为一类，但亚结构分析证实了后者的单系性。在北美地区，基于线粒体序列分析，仅在采自阿拉斯加州赫西塔岛的2份被鉴定为alexandrae亚种的样本中检测到显著遗传分化，其余北美样本均未出现明显遗传分化，且无论其被鉴定为muriei、alexandrae还是lagopus亚种，均存在遗传混杂现象。当分析SNP数据时，一份被鉴定为alexandrae亚种的标本在一定程度上呈现出遗传分化特征。遗传分析结果显示，遗传学特征与分类学界定存在一定一致性，但并未完全契合，这一点在线粒体DNA网络分析中尤为明显。我们建议，应对该物种种亚种划分的现有证据开展审慎复核，以优化其分类学体系。在该物种中，亚种地位似乎并不适合作为进化显著单元与管理单元划分的可靠替代指标。