A phylogenetic analysis of woodpeckers and their allies using 12S, Cyt b, and COI nucleotide sequences (class Aves; order Piciformes).
Although the woodpeckers have long been recognized as a natural, monophyletic taxon, morphological analyses of their intra- and intergeneric relationships have produced conflicting results. To clarify this issue, and as part of a larger study of piciform relationships, nucleotide sequences for the 12S ribosomal RNA (12S; 1123 bp), cytochrome b (Cyt b; 1022 bp), and cytochrome oxidase c subunit 1 (COI; 1512 bp) mitochondrial genes were obtained from 34 piciform species that included 16 of the 23 currently recognized woodpecker genera (subfamily Picinae), three piculets (subfamily Picumninae), a wryneck (subfamily Jynginae), a honeyguide (family Indicatoridae), and three barbets (infraorder Ramphastides). Analyses were conducted on the individual and combined 12S, Cyt b, and COI sequences with maximum parsimony, neighbor-joining, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian algorithms. Based on the strong, congruent support among the different data partitions and models of sequence evolution, a highly resolved consensus of the relationships among woodpeckers and their allies could be formed. The monophyly of Indicatoridae + Picidae (infraorder Picides), Picidae, Picinae + Picumninae, and Picinae was strongly supported in all analyses. However, the tribes Colaptini, Picini, Campephilini, and Campetherini were shown to be paraphyletic as were the genera of Colaptes and Piculus. A revision of the tribal-level classification of woodpeckers is proposed and the importance of plumage convergence among woodpeckers is discussed.
Webb
David Matthew
DM
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, 830 N. University Avenue, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48103, USA. webb@ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Moore
William S
WS
D000818:Animals; D001717:Birds / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D003062:Codon / Q000235:genetics; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D017354:Point Mutation; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
D003062:Codon; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; C075526:RNA, ribosomal, 12S; D045303:Cytochromes b; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV