title: Revising the phylogenetic position of the extinct Mascarene Parrot Mascarinus mascarin (Linnaeus 1771) (Aves: Psittaciformes: Psittacidae).
abstract: The phylogenetic position of the extinct Mascarene Parrot Mascarinus mascarin from La Réunion has been unresolved for centuries. A recent molecular study unexpectedly placed M. mascarin within the clade of phenotypically very different Vasa parrots Coracopsis. Based on DNA extracted from the only other preserved Mascarinus specimen, we show that the previously obtained cytb sequence is probably an artificial composite of partial sequences from two other parrot species and that M. mascarin is indeed a part of the Psittacula diversification, placed close to P. eupatria and P. wardi.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Zooecology, Bonn, Germany. Electronic address: lars@cgae.de.
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Podsiadlowski
authors.affiliation: Museum of Natural History Vienna, 1st Zoological Department - Ornithology, Burgring 7, 1010 Vienna, Austria; University of Vienna, Dept. Integrative Zoology, Althanstr. 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria. Electronic address: anita.gamauf@nhm-wien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gamauf
authors.affiliation: Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, Centre for Taxonomy and Evolutionary Research, Section Ornithology, Adenauerallee 160, Bonn, Germany. Electronic address: t.toepfer@zfmk.de.
authors.forename: Till
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Töpfer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D056426:Genetic Loci; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics; D010311:Parrots / Q000145:classification*; D010802:Phylogeny; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D045303:Cytochromes b
keywords: Coracopsis; Extinction; Indian Ocean parrots; Mascarin; Mascarinus; Psittacula