Question

Two birds that look very similar to each other have always been considered two distinct species based on differences in their body size and in where they live. A group of ornithologists studying the two species begins to think they might not be separate species based on observed behavior. What would be the best next step regarding this new hypothesis?

Answer 1

A Genetic structure analysis

Step-by-step explanation:

An analysis of genetic structure will help to know if these two groups are really different species. For that, some mitochondrial markers could be used first. Mitochondrial markers are used quite frequently for this purpose, since they usually show genetic preferences between different species. This is because they evolve faster than nuclear markers.

Answer 2

The evaluation of their DNA and short tandem repeats will let them know if the birds are related or not. The genetic linkage will provide information about their common ancestry as well as if they belong to the same species, or are closely related species.