Taxonomy buffs may be interested in this new paper from the School of
Botany and Zoology, ANU
Robin Hide:
Loynes, Kate, Leo Joseph and J. Scott Keogh (2009). “Multi-locus
phylogeny clarifies the systematics of the Australo-Papuan robins
(Family Petroicidae, Passeriformes).” Mol Phylogenet Evol May
19.
Abstract:
The Australo-Papuan family Petroicidae (Aves: Passeriformes) has been
the focus of much systematic debate about its relationships with other
passerine families, as well as relationships within the family. Mostly
conservative morphology within the group limits the effectiveness of
traditional taxonomic analyses and has contributed to ongoing
systematic debate. To assess relationships within the family, we
sampled 47 individuals from 26 species, representing the majority of
genera and species, for four loci: 528 base pairs (bp) of C-myc, 501 bp
of BA20454 and 336 bp of BA23989 from nuclear DNA and 1005 bp of the
mitochondrial ND2 gene. There was consensus between individual loci and
overall support for major lineages was strong. Partitioned Bayesian
analyses of all four loci produced a fully resolved and very well
supported phylogeny that addresses many of the previous systematic
debates in this group. The Eopsaltriinae as construed is monophyletic
with the exception of Eopsaltria flaviventris, which is nested within
Microeca as an unremarkable member of that genus. This relationship is
corroborated by morphology and egg colour and pattern. Petroicinae as
currently construed was not monophyletic and comprised two lineages
that are paraphyletic with respect to each other. The third subfamily,
Drymodinae, remains incertae sedis. The mangrove robin, Peneonanthe
pulverulenta, of tropical Australia and New Guinea is nested within a
clade that also contained the sampled species of Peneothello and
Melanodryas, a novel relationship. Preliminary biogeographic and
divergence time estimates from these results are discussed and a new
subfamily arrangement proposed.
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