| 1. |
- Alström, Per, et al.
(author)
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A review of the recent advances in the systematics of the avian superfamily Sylvioidea
- 2013
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In: Chinese Birds. - : Chinese Birds (Press). - 1674-7674. ; 4, s. 99-131
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The systematics of the avian superfamily Sylvioidea are reviewed, focusing on studies of relationships among families and within genera, more superficially on taxonomic studies at the species level. For the families Bernieridae and Phylloscopidae, new analyses based on already published sequence data are presented. Our understanding of relationships has been vastly improved in recent years due to a large number of molecular studies. However, the relationships among the different families remain largely obscured, probably mainly as a result of rapid divergence of the different primary lineages (families). Also, species level taxonomy has been much improved in recent years due to a large number of studies applying molecular markers and/or vocalizations and other life-history data. It seems likely that the number of species will continue to increase, as new groups are being studied with modern integrative methods.
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| 2. |
- Alström, Per, et al.
(author)
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Discovery of a relict lineage and monotypic family of passerine birds.
- 2014
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In: Biology Letters. - : The Royal Society. - 1744-9561 .- 1744-957X. ; 10:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Analysis of one of the most comprehensive datasets to date of the largest passerine bird clade, Passerida, identified 10 primary well-supported lineages corresponding to Sylvioidea, Muscicapoidea, Certhioidea, Passeroidea, the ‘bombycillids’ (here proposed to be recognized as Bombycilloidea), Paridae/Remizidae (proposed to be recognized as Paroidea), Stenostiridae, Hyliotidae, Regulidae (proposed to be recognized as Reguloidea) and spotted wren-babbler Spelaeornis formosus. The latter was found on a single branch in a strongly supported clade with Muscicapoidea, Certhioidea and Bombycilloidea, although the relationships among these were unresolved. We conclude that the spotted wren-babbler represents a relict basal lineage within Passerida with no close extant relatives, and we support the already used name Elachura formosa and propose the new family name Elachuridae for this single species.
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| 3. |
- Qu, Yanhua, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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Ground tit genome reveals avian adaptation to living at high altitudes in the Tibetan plateau.
- 2013
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In: Nature communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 4, s. 2071-
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The ground tit (Parus humilis) is endemic to the Tibetan plateau. It is a member of family Paridae but it was long thought to be related to the ground jays because of their morphological similarities. Here we present the ground tit's genome and re-sequence two tits and one ground jay, to clarify this controversially taxonomic status and uncover its genetic adaptations to the Tibetan plateau. Our results show that ground tit groups with two tits and it diverges from them between 7.7 and 9.9 Mya. Compared with other avian genomes, ground tit shows expansion in genes linked to energy metabolism and contractions in genes involved in immune and olfactory perception. We also found positively selected and rapidly evolving genes in hypoxia response and skeletal development. These results indicated that ground tit evolves basic strategies and 'tit-to-jay' change for coping with the life in an extreme environment.
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| 4. |
- Qu, Yanhua, 1974-, et al.
(author)
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Long-term isolation and stability explain high genetic diversity in the Eastern Himalaya.
- 2014
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In: Molecular Ecology. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 23:3, s. 705-20
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- China's Southwest Mountainous Region in Eastern Himalaya is a ‘biodiversity hotspot’ of global interest for conservation. Yet little is known about what has driven this unique diversity. The dramatic topography of the Southwest Mountainous Region resulting from the tectonic uplift during the late Pliocene leads to dramatic ecological stratification, which creates physical barriers to migration and isolates organisms into different subregions and mountain systems. This agrees with the observation that the phylogeographical patterns found in four species of birds (Alcippe morrisonia, Stachyridopsis ruficeps, Parus monticolus and Aegithalos concinnus) distributed in this region are characterized by deep splits between lineages that coalesce between 0.8 and 2.1 Ma. Unlike other regions at this latitude, the Southwest Mountainous Region was largely unaffected by the Pleistocene glaciations. Genetically isolated populations of these birds could thus be maintained throughout the Pleistocene in these rather stable montane environments. In comparison, we found radically different phylogeographical patterns in populations of the same four species distributed in the adjacent lowland, the Central China region. This region has a distinctly different geological history with dramatic, climate-induced shifts in vegetation during the Pleistocene. Here, we found a considerably less geographical structure in the genetic variation and a much younger coalescence time (0.3-0.7 Ma). We also found evidence of genetic bottlenecks during the glacial periods and gene flow during the interglacial expansions. We conclude that the high genetic diversity in the Southwest Mountainous Region results from a long-term in situ diversification within these evolutionary isolated and environment stable montane habitats.
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| 5. |
- Zhang, Ruiying, et al.
(author)
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Comparative phylogeography of two widespread magpies : importance of habitat preference and breeding behavior on genetic structure in China.
- 2012
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In: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. - : Elsevier BV. - 1055-7903 .- 1095-9513. ; 65:2, s. 562-72
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Historical geological events and climatic changes are believed to have played important roles in shaping the current distribution of species. However, sympatric species may have responded in different ways to such climatic fluctuations. Here we compared genetic structures of two corvid species, the Azure-winged Magpie Cyanopica cyanus and the Eurasian Magpie Pica pica, both widespread but with different habitat dependence and some aspects of breeding behavior. Three mitochondrial genes and two nuclear introns were used to examine their co-distributed populations in East China and the Iberian Peninsula. Both species showed deep divergences between these two regions that were dated to the late Pliocene/early Pleistocene. In the East Chinese clade of C. cyanus, populations were subdivided between Northeast China and Central China, probably since the early to mid-Pleistocene, and the Central subclade showed a significant pattern of isolation by distance. In contrast, no genetic structure was found in the East China populations of P. pica. We suggest that the different patterns in the two species are at least partly explained by ecological differences between them, especially in habitat preference and perhaps also breeding behavior. These dissimilarities in life history traits might have affected the dispersal and survival abilities of these two species differently during environmental fluctuations.
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