摘要Due to a complex geological and biotic history,the Isthmus of Tehuantepec(IT),has been long recognized as a driver for the evolutionary divergence of numerous lowland and highland taxa.Widely distributed in the low-lands of the American continent,the White-Tipped Dove(Leptotila verreauxi)is a polytypic species with 13 recognized subspecies.Four of these have been recorded in Mexico,and the distribution of three abuts at the IT,suggesting a contact zone.To estimate phylogenetic patterns,divergence times and genetic differentiation,we examined two mtDNA(ND2 and COI)and one nDNA(β-fibint 7)markers.We also used correlative ecological niche models(ENM)to assess whether ecological differences across the IT may have acted as a biogeographical boundary.We estimated paleodistributions during the Middle Holocene,Last Glacial Maximum and Last Inter-glacial,to evaluate the influence of climate changes on the distribution and demographic changes.Our results showed genetically distinct lineages that diverged approximately 2.5 million years ago.Climatic and ecological factors may have played a dual role in promoting differentiation,but also in the formation of a secondary contact zone in the southern IT.Our ecological niche comparisons indicated that the ecological niche of sympatric lineages at the IT are not identical,suggesting niches divergence;in addition,environmental niche models across the region indicated no abrupt biogeographic barriers,but the presence of regions with low suitability.These results suggest that genetic differentiation originated by a vicariant event probably related to environmental factors,favored the evolution of different ecological niches.Also,the absence of a biogeographic barrier but the presence of less suitable areas in the contact regions,suggest that secondary contact zones may be also main-tained by climatic factors for the eastern group,but also by biotic interactions for the western group.