Non-monophyletic taxa and cryptic species - Evidence from a molecular phylogeny of leaf-warblers (Phylloscopus, Aves)

• The avian taxa Cryptigata and Aeanthopneuste have been treated either as subgenera within Phylloscopus (leaf-warblers), or as a distinct genus and an informal group, respectively. The circumscriptions of these taxa have varied between authors. We estimated the phylogeny, based on the mitochondrial cytochrome b and 12S genes and the nuclear myoglobin intron 11, of all except two of the species placed in the Cryptigata and Acanthopneuste groups, as well as two recently described species and representatives of all subgenera and major clades in Phylloscopus and Seicercus recognized by previous studies. Neither Cryptigata nor Acanthopneuste is found to be monophyletic. The polytypic species P. reguloides and P. davisoni show deep divergences between some of their respective subspecies, and the latter species is non-monophyletic. We propose that the former be split into three species and the latter into two species. Seicercus xanthoschistos is nested in a clade that includes only Phylloscopus, and we recommend that it be placed in Phylloscopus. The rate of morphological divergence varies considerably among the taxa in this study. Our results emphasize the importance of dense taxon sampling in intrageneric phylogenetic studies. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi (hsv//swe)

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

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Biologisk systematik (hsv//swe)

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

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Biologi -- Evolutionsbiologi (hsv//swe)

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

Nyckelord

phylloscopus

seicercus

cryptigata

acanthopneuste

mtdna

myoglobin intron ii

phylogeny

species limits

morphological evolution

taxon sampling

genus phylloscopus

genetic differentiation

mitochondrial gene

bayesian-inference

DNA

substitution

evolution

collybita

mrbayes

sites

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