Non-monophyly of the avian genus Seicercus (Aves : Sylviidae) revealed by mitochondrial DNA

• The phylogeny of all species and nearly all subspecies of Seicercus and representatives of all subgenera in Phylloscopus was estimated based on two mitochondrial genes. According to the gene tree, and supported by non-molecular data, Seicercus belongs in three separate clades. Two of these include only taxa currently classified as Seicercus, while the third comprises S. xanthoschistos and P. occipitalis. These results suggest that both Seicercus and Phylloscopus are paraphyletic. The gene tree suggests two more cases of non-monophyly: (1) the 'S. burkii complex' is separated into two different clades, one of which also includes S. affinis and S. poliogenys; (2) two populations of S. affinis intermedius are more closely related to S. affinis ocularis than to a third population of intermedius. A recent proposal to split the 'S. burkii complex' into six species is corroborated, as is the recognition of the taxon cognitus as a colour morph of S. affinis intermedius. Our study also revealed unexpectedly large genetic divergences between three different populations of the monotypic S. poliogenys, indicating the presence of cryptic species. Our results underscore the importance of dense sampling at the specific and infraspecific levels in intrageneric phylogenetic studies.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Biological Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

world leaf warblers

golden-spectacled warbler

genetic differentiation

phylloscopus

pseudogenes

nuclear

systematics

complex

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)