Hidden generic diversity in Neotropical birds: molecular and anatomical data support a new genus for the "Scytalopus"indigoticus species-group (Aves: Rhinocryptidae).
The genus Scytalopus is a species-rich and taxonomically complicated component of the Neotropical avian family Rhinocryptidae. Probably because Scytalopus is a superficially uniform assemblage, its monophyly has not been seriously questioned. We investigated phylogenetic relationships of a representative set of species in the genus using nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences as well as anatomical data, and provided the first test of its presumed monophyly by including in the analyses its hypothesized closest relatives (the genera Myornis, Eugralla, and Merulaxis) as well as most rhinocryptid genera. We found strong support for the paraphyly of the genus Scytalopus, with the Scytalopus indigoticus species-group forming a clade with Merulaxis. A well-supported clade including the genera Eugralla, Myornis, and the remaining Scytalopus was also recovered. Because these results were recovered independently and with strong support using mitochondrial and nuclear data, and were entirely consistent with anatomical data, we erect a new genus for the S.indigoticus species-group. These findings illustrate the importance of formally testing hypotheses of monophyly even for well-accepted groups of Neotropical birds.
Maurício
Giovanni Nachtigall
GN
Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Laboratório de Ornitologia, Museu de Ciências e Tecnologia, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul. Av. Ipiranga, 6681, CEP 90619-900, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. gnachtigallmauricio@yahoo.com.br
Mata
Helena
H
Bornschein
Marcos Ricardo
MR
Cadena
Carlos Daniel
CD
Alvarenga
Herculano
H
Bonatto
Sandro L
SL
D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D050259:Genes, Mitochondrial; D014644:Genetic Variation; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013045:Species Specificity
D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D045303:Cytochromes b