title: A molecular phylogeny of Pacific honeyeaters (Aves: Meliphagidae) reveals extensive paraphyly and an isolated Polynesian radiation.
abstract: We investigated the molecular phylogenetic placement of 14 species of Pacific island honeyeaters (Aves: Meliphagidae) in the broader context of an existing family-level phylogeny. We examined the evolutionary history of Pacific honeyeater lineages to assess the accuracy of current taxonomies and to evaluate their biogeographic history. We compare these biogeographic patterns to other Pacific birds to identify emergent patterns across lineages. We found strong support for a previously unknown endemic radiation in central Polynesia, which comprises five genera: Meliarchus, Guadalcanaria, Gymnomyza, Xanthotis, and Foulehaio. Conversely, other Pacific lineages were found to be strongly allied with continental radiations (e.g., Philemon eichhorni, P. cockerelli, and Lichmera incana). Our results necessitated taxonomic changes, both at the generic level (e.g., Xanthotis, Melidectes/Vosea, and Glycifohia/Gliciphila) and regarding species limits within polytypic species. Here, we discuss species limits in Foulehaio and Gymnomyza and recommend elevating three nominal subspecies of Foulehaio to species status, each of which forms well-differentiated clades.
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, 1345 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045, USA. Electronic address: mja43@ku.edu.
authors: Michael J
authors: MJ
authors: Andersen
authors: South Pacific Regional Herbarium, University of the South Pacific, Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji.
authors: Alivereti
authors: A
authors: Naikatini
authors: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, 1345 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045, USA.
authors: Robert G
authors: RG
authors: Moyle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D046109:Passeriformes / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011114:Polynesia; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial
keywords: Foulehaio; Glycifohia; Island biogeography; Taxonomy; Vosea; Xanthotis