Applications of Electrophoretic Data in Avian Systematics

Abstract

AbstractThis paper is a survey of applications of electrophoretic techniques in ornithology, with an emphasis on post-1970 publications. The majority of electrophoretic studies of birds have been limited in a variety of ways. Many have dealt with "domesticated" species or have been limited to the examination of blood and/or egg-white proteins. Problems in comparing results from different studies have arisen because of: (1) dissimilar electrophoretic techniques; (2) varying numbers of taxa; (3) nonstandardized enzyme and locus nomenclature; and, especially, (4) different methods of data analysis. These methodological problems must be addressed in order to broaden the utility of electrophoretic data in avian systematics. I suggest that the enzyme names recognized by the International Union of Biochemistry be used exclusively and that a standardized locus nomenclature, comparable with that used in other vertebrate classes, be developed. The predominating use of allozyme characters can be supplemented by "isozyme characters" (e.g. different numbers of genes, heteropolymer assembly, and regulation of expression sensu Buth in press), which possibly could be applied to a determination of systematic relationships of higher-level taxonomic ranks. Allozyme and/or isozyme data should be retained in particulate form (i.e. not summarized as genetic distances). The use of outgroups to assign evolutionary direction is encouraged.