Abstract: Aim Delimiting recently diverged species is challenging. During speciation, genetic differentiation may be distributed unevenly across the genome, as different genomic regions can be subject to different selective pressures and evolutionary histories. Reliance on limited numbers of genetic markers that may be underpowered can make species delimitation even more challenging, potentially resulting in taxonomic inconsistencies. Rockhopper penguins of the genus Eudyptes comprise three broadly recognized taxa: northern (E. moseleyi), southern (E. chrysocome) and eastern rockhopper (E. filholi). Their taxonomic status has been controversial for decades, with researchers disagreeing about whether E. chrysocome and E. filholi are distinct species or conspecific. Our goal is to evaluate genome-wide patterns of divergence to evaluate genetic differentiation and species delimitation in rockhopper penguins, and to assess which mechanisms may underlie previous discordance among nuclear versus mitochondrial analyses. Location Sub-Antarctic and temperate coastal regions of the Southern Hemisphere. Methods We generated reduced-representation genomic libraries using double digest restriction-site associated DNA (ddRAD) sequencing to evaluate genetic differentiation, contemporary migration rates and admixture among colonies of rockhopper penguins. Results The extent of genetic differentiation among the three taxa was consistently higher than population-level genetic differentiation found within these and other penguin species. There was no evidence of admixture among the three taxa, suggesting the absence of ongoing gene flow among them. Species delimitation analyses based on molecular data, along with other lines of evidence, provide strong support for the taxonomic distinction of three species of rockhopper penguins. Main conclusions Our results provide strong support for the existence of three distinct species of rockhopper penguins. The recognition of this taxonomic diversity is crucial for the management and conservation of this widely distributed species group. This study illustrates that widespread dispersive seabird lineages lacking obvious morphological differences may nevertheless have complex evolutionary histories and comprise cryptic species diversity.

Abstract: The sub-Antarctic islands of the Southern Ocean harbor biogeographically peculiar biotas which are under threat from climate change, biological invasions and their interactions. Understanding both the indigenous and changing non-indigenous components of these islands is essential for the conservation and management of their biotas. Based on several years of systematic sampling, we present an updated list of terrestrial, free-living macro-invertebrates (insects and spiders) present on the islands of Possession (Crozet Archipelago) and Kerguelen. Ninety-four species were recorded in total on both islands. Forty-one are strictly endemic to one of the two islands, 16 are endemic to the South Indian Ocean Province, and only three were recorded on other sub-Antarctic islands. Beetles and more particularly weevils are the most characteristic group of the fauna of these islands: they include 35 species of which 89% are native and 66% are endemic. One third of the species (30 of 94) are non-indigenous species now naturalized. We discuss these results in terms of biogeography, ecological disharmony and impact of biological invasions.

Abstract: Penguins are sea...birds. These highly evolved marine predators thrive in the oceanic habitat. Yet, they are conflicted – confronted to the duality of a life spent partly at sea, partly on-land. This life style has them subject to a number of very different ecological pressures. The ECONERGY polar project (IPEV #119) seeks to understand how king penguin cope with the constraints they face while living on-land, and the underlying physiological adaptations that allow them to do so. This includes studies dealing with fasting, parasites, predators, aggressive neighbors, climate and human disturbance. I will present some of the advances our project has made over the past decades, and where we will proceed in the years to come with a new project. We aim to understand bird stress from an integrative perspective, building a long-term observatory of penguin physiological responses to a changing world, and determining how breeding performances on land and foraging performances at sea are related.