| 1. |
- Reeve, A. H., et al.
(author)
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The Sulawesi Thrush (Cataponera turdoides; Aves: Passeriformes) belongs to the genus Turdus
- 2022
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In: Zoologica Scripta. - : Wiley. - 0300-3256 .- 1463-6409. ; 51:1, s. 32-40
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Asian and Australo-Papuan faunas meet and intermix across the islands of Wallacea. Untangling the origins and relationships of the species inhabiting these archipelagos is an ongoing project that has lasted for well over a century. In recent years, molecular phylogenetic studies have made considerable progress in clarifying the affinities of enigmatic Wallacean taxa, but taxonomic riddles remain, even in groups as well studied as birds. Such is the case with Sulawesi Thrush Cataponera turdoides, a scarce and elusive montane songbird whose taxonomic placement has remained controversial since its description. To determine the evolutionary relationships of this monotypic genus, we obtained a museum specimen and employed whole-genome resequencing to generate a multi-locus dataset. Phylogenetic analyses were performed using UCEs, and individual mitochondrial and nuclear genes. We show that Cataponera is a true thrush of the large and geographically widespread genus Turdus. It belongs to a clade predominantly composed of migratory Palearctic species, but has no close relatives within that group. Sulawesi Thrush is one of only two members of the genus Turdus known to have crossed Wallace's Line to form resident populations.
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| 2. |
- Alström, Per, et al.
(author)
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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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In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. - : Elsevier BV. - 1055-7903 .- 1095-9513. ; 127, s. 367-375
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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| 3. |
- Alström, Per, et al.
(author)
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Multilocus analysis of a taxonomically densely sampled dataset reveal extensive non-monophyly in the avian family Locustellidae.
- 2011
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In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. - : Elsevier BV. - 1055-7903 .- 1095-9513. ; 58:3, s. 513-26
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The phylogeny of most of the species in the avian passerine family Locustellidae is inferred using a Bayesian species tree approach (Bayesian Estimation of Species Trees, BEST), as well as a traditional Bayesian gene tree method (MrBayes), based on a dataset comprising one mitochondrial and four nuclear loci. The trees inferred by the different methods agree fairly well in topology, although in a few cases there are marked differences. Some of these discrepancies might be due to convergence problems for BEST (despite up to 1×10(9) iterations). The phylogeny strongly disagrees with the current taxonomy at the generic level, and we propose a revised classification that recognizes four instead of seven genera. These results emphasize the well known but still often neglected problem of basing classifications on non-cladistic evaluations of morphological characters. An analysis of an extended mitochondrial dataset with multiple individuals from most species, including many subspecies, suggest that several taxa presently treated as subspecies or as monotypic species as well as a few taxa recognized as separate species are in need of further taxonomic work.
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| 4. |
- Finch, B. W., et al.
(author)
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Disjunct resident population of Melodious Lark Mirafra cheniana discovered in East Africa
- 2022
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In: Journal of Ornithology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2193-7192 .- 2193-7206. ; 164, s. 55-71
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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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| 5. |
- Hanson, N., et al.
(author)
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Ecological changes as a plausible explanation for differences in uptake of contaminants between European perch and eelpout in a coastal area of the Baltic Sea
- 2020
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In: Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1382-6689 .- 1872-7077. ; 80
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Unexpected increasing trends in the concentration of contaminants in European perch (Perca fluviatilis) and in activity of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) in European perch and eelpout (Zoarces viviparus) have been observed at a Swedish coastal reference site. This study uses data from different sources to investigate plausible explanations. The results showed that a change in diet and an improved overall condition coincide with an increase in mercury in European perch. Furthermore, an increase in several organic contaminants in European perch coincided with the introduction of an invasive deep-burrowing polychaete, which likely contributed to the release of contaminants through bioturbation. The increase in EROD-activity in both species seems to be related to contaminants that reach the fish through the water rather than the diet. The results show that for contaminants that are taken up via the diet, trends in contamination can be opposite for different species of fish in the same area. © 2020
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