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- Alström, Per, et al.
(författare)
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Comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the grassbirds and allies (Locustellidae) reveals extensive non-monophyly of traditional genera, and a proposal for a new classification
- 2018
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Ingår i: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. - : Elsevier BV. - 1055-7903 .- 1095-9513. ; 127, s. 367-375
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The widespread Old World avian family Locustellidae ('grassbirds and allies') comprises 62 extant species in 11 genera. In the present study, we used one mitochondrial and, for most species, four nuclear loci to infer the phylogeny of this family. We analysed 59 species, including the five previously unsampled genera plus two genera that had not before been analysed in a densely sampled dataset. This study revealed extensive disagreement with current taxonomy; the genera Bradypterus, Locustella, Megalurus, Megalurulus and Schoenicola were all found to be non-monophyletic. Non-monophyly was particularly pronounced for Megalurus, which was widely scattered across the tree. Three of the five monotypic genera (Amphilais, Buettikoferella and Malia) were nested within other genera; one monotypic genus (Chaetornis) formed a Glade with one of the two species of Schoenicola; whereas the position of the fifth monotypic genus (Elaphrornis) was unresolved. Robsonius was confirmed as sister to the other genera. We propose a phylogenetically informed revision of genus-level taxonomy, including one new generic name. Finally, we highlight several non-monophyletic species complexes and deep intra-species divergences that point to conflict in taxonomy and suggest an underestimation of current species diversity in this group.
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Finch, B. W., et al.
(författare)
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Disjunct resident population of Melodious Lark Mirafra cheniana discovered in East Africa
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Ornithology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2193-7192 .- 2193-7206. ; 164, s. 55-71
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We describe the discovery of a previously unknown population of Melodious Lark Mirafra cheniana from northern Tanzania and southern Kenya, some 2000 km north of what was previously thought to be its northern limit in central Zimbabwe. The identification of this population as M. cheniana is based primarily on analyses of mitochondrial DNA and song. We also clarify relationships within this genus by sequencing material of White-tailed Lark Mirafra albicauda for the first time; although its relationships with other species in the group remain unclear, our analyses clearly show it to be different from M. cheniana in the newly discovered population. The discovery of a population of M. cheniana in East Africa conforms to a known pattern for closely related lark species to have disjunct distributions in southern and eastern Africa.
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| 4. |
- Price, T. D., et al.
(författare)
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Niche filling slows the diversification of Himalayan songbirds
- 2014
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Ingår i: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 509:7499, s. 222- +
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Speciation generally involves a three-step process-range expansion, range fragmentation and the development of reproductive isolation between spatially separated populations(1,2). Speciation relies on cycling through these three steps and each may limit the rate at which new species form(1,3). We estimate phylogenetic relationships among all Himalayan songbirds to ask whether the development of reproductive isolation and ecological competition, both factors that limit range expansions(4), set an ultimate limit on speciation. Based on a phylogeny for all 358 species distributed along the eastern elevational gradient, here we show that body size and shape differences evolved early in the radiation, with the elevational band occupied by a species evolving later. These results are consistent with competition for niche space limiting species accumulation(5). Even the elevation dimension seems to be approaching ecological saturation, because the closest relatives both inside the assemblage and elsewhere in the Himalayas are on average separated by more than five million years, which is longer than it generally takes for reproductive isolation to be completed(2,3,6); also, elevational distributions are well explained by resource availability, notably the abundance of arthropods, and not by differences in diversification rates in different elevational zones. Our results imply that speciation rate is ultimately set by niche filling(that is, ecological competition for resources), rather than by the rate of acquisition of reproductive isolation.
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