DEAR EDITOR,Recent studies have shown that the closely related cinereous tit(Parus cinereus)and green-backed tit(P.monticolus)in China display strong egg recognition ability in contrast to tit species in Europe,which ...DEAR EDITOR,Recent studies have shown that the closely related cinereous tit(Parus cinereus)and green-backed tit(P.monticolus)in China display strong egg recognition ability in contrast to tit species in Europe,which lack such ability.However,egg recognition in other populations of cinereous and greenbacked tits and additional Paridae species still requires further research.展开更多
Background:Historically the babblers have been assigned to the family Timaliidae but several recent studies have attempted to rest the taxonomy of this diverse passerine assemblage on a more firm evolutionary footing....Background:Historically the babblers have been assigned to the family Timaliidae but several recent studies have attempted to rest the taxonomy of this diverse passerine assemblage on a more firm evolutionary footing.The result has been a major rearrangement of the group.A well?supported and comprehensive phylogeny for this widespread avian group is an important part of testing evolutionary and biogeographic hypotheses,especially in Asia where the babblers are a key component of many forest ecosystems.However,the genus Liocichla is poorly represented in these prior studies of babbler systematics.Methods:We used a multilocus molecular genetic approach to generate a phylogenetic hypothesis for all five cur?rently recognized species in the avian genus Liocichla.Multilocus DNA sequence data was used to construct individ?ual gene trees using maximum likelihood and species trees were estimated from gene trees using Bayesian analyses.Divergence dates were obtained using a molecular clock approach.Results:Molecular data estimate a probable window of time for the origin for the Liocichla from the mid to late Miocene,between 5.55 and 12.87 Ma.Despite plumage similarities between the insular Taiwan endemic,L.steerii,and the continental L.bugunorum and L.omeiensis,molecular data suggest that L.steerii is the sister taxon to all continen?tal Liocichla.The continental Liocichla are comprised of two lineages;a lineage containing L.omeiensis and L.bugunorum and a lineage comprised of L.phoenicea and L.ripponi.The comparatively early divergence of L.steerii within the Liocichla may be illusory due to extinct and therefore unsampled lineages.L.ripponi and L.phoenicea are parapatric with a Pleistocene split(0.07–1.88 Ma) occurring between an Eastern Himalayan L.phoenicea and a Northern Indo?china distributed L.ripponi.L.bugunorum and L.omeiensis underwent a similar split between the Eastern Himalaya(L.bugunorum) and Central China(L.omeiensis) divided by the Hengduan Mountains.Conclusions:This study supports an origin of the Liocichla occurring sometime prior to the Miocene–Pliocene boundary,a period of significant climatic upheaval in Asia.The biogeographical patterns within the Liocichla mirror those of other birds in the region and allude to common geological and climatic drivers of avian diversification in Asia.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31772453 and 31970427 to W.L.,31872231 to D.M.W.,and 31672303 to C.C.Y.)。
文摘DEAR EDITOR,Recent studies have shown that the closely related cinereous tit(Parus cinereus)and green-backed tit(P.monticolus)in China display strong egg recognition ability in contrast to tit species in Europe,which lack such ability.However,egg recognition in other populations of cinereous and greenbacked tits and additional Paridae species still requires further research.
基金Support was provided by a National Science Foundation(NSF)Major Research Instrumentation award(DBI-0821703)to HLMRoger Fry and Len Weakley through the Helen B.Vogel Charitable Trust and the Mary Jane Helms Charitable Trust to HLM and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to DTT(Ti 679/1-1)
文摘Background:Historically the babblers have been assigned to the family Timaliidae but several recent studies have attempted to rest the taxonomy of this diverse passerine assemblage on a more firm evolutionary footing.The result has been a major rearrangement of the group.A well?supported and comprehensive phylogeny for this widespread avian group is an important part of testing evolutionary and biogeographic hypotheses,especially in Asia where the babblers are a key component of many forest ecosystems.However,the genus Liocichla is poorly represented in these prior studies of babbler systematics.Methods:We used a multilocus molecular genetic approach to generate a phylogenetic hypothesis for all five cur?rently recognized species in the avian genus Liocichla.Multilocus DNA sequence data was used to construct individ?ual gene trees using maximum likelihood and species trees were estimated from gene trees using Bayesian analyses.Divergence dates were obtained using a molecular clock approach.Results:Molecular data estimate a probable window of time for the origin for the Liocichla from the mid to late Miocene,between 5.55 and 12.87 Ma.Despite plumage similarities between the insular Taiwan endemic,L.steerii,and the continental L.bugunorum and L.omeiensis,molecular data suggest that L.steerii is the sister taxon to all continen?tal Liocichla.The continental Liocichla are comprised of two lineages;a lineage containing L.omeiensis and L.bugunorum and a lineage comprised of L.phoenicea and L.ripponi.The comparatively early divergence of L.steerii within the Liocichla may be illusory due to extinct and therefore unsampled lineages.L.ripponi and L.phoenicea are parapatric with a Pleistocene split(0.07–1.88 Ma) occurring between an Eastern Himalayan L.phoenicea and a Northern Indo?china distributed L.ripponi.L.bugunorum and L.omeiensis underwent a similar split between the Eastern Himalaya(L.bugunorum) and Central China(L.omeiensis) divided by the Hengduan Mountains.Conclusions:This study supports an origin of the Liocichla occurring sometime prior to the Miocene–Pliocene boundary,a period of significant climatic upheaval in Asia.The biogeographical patterns within the Liocichla mirror those of other birds in the region and allude to common geological and climatic drivers of avian diversification in Asia.
