DNA barcoding and phylogenetic relationships in Timaliidae

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The Timaliidae, a diverse family of oscine passerine birds, has long been a subject of debate regarding its phylogeny. The mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene has been used as a powerful marker for identification and phylogenetic studies of animal species. In the present study, we analyzed the COI barcodes of 71 species from 21 genera belonging to the family Timaliidae. Every bird species possessed a barcode distinct from that of other bird species. Kimura two-parameter (K2P) distances were calculated between barcodes. The average genetic distance between species was 18 times higher than the average genetic distance within species. The neighborjoining method was used to construct a phylogenetic tree and all the species could be discriminated by their distinct clades within the phylogenetic tree. The results indicate that some currently recognized babbler genera might not be monophyletic, with the COI gene data supporting the hypothesis of polyphyly for Garrulax, Alcippe, and Minla. Thus, DNA barcoding is an effective molecular tool for Timaliidae species identification and phylogenetic inference.

DNA barcoding and phylogenetic relationships of genera Picoides and Dendrocopos (Aves: Picidae)

“…However, the rate of COI gene evolution is subject to variation in different clades of birds (Pereira and Baker, 2006). Therefore, Huang and Ke (2015) postulated that it might be inappropriate to suggest a universal distance criterion for different species, and the Picoides and Dendrocopos results supported this opinion.…”

The efficacy of DNA barcoding in the classification, genetic differentiation, and biodiversity assessment of benthic macroinvertebrates

“…Thus, great variability in species distribution and high diversity in aquatic biota occur in China. Until now, DNA barcoding has been applied to some specific taxa, for example, amphibians (Che et al, 2012), birds (Yoo et al, 2013), plants (Huang & Ke, 2015), Noctuoidea moths (Yang et al, 2014), mollusks (Barco et al, 2016), crickets (Hawlitschek et al, 2017), herpetofauna (Hawlitschek et al, 2017), fish (Smith et al, 2008), spiders (Ivanov et al, 2018), but rarely focuses on aquatic invertebrates (Zhou, 2009b;Zhou et al, 2009a). In this study, we attempted to test the feasibility of DNA barcoding in the classification of benthic macroinvertebrates in the transboundary rivers and their affiliated water bodies of northwest China.…”

The efficacy of DNA barcoding in the classification, biodiversity and environmental assessment of benthic macroinvertebrates

“…Thus, great differences and high diversity in aquatic biota occur in China. Until now, DNA barcoding has been applied to some organisms, e.g., amphibians (Che et al, 2012), birds (Yang et al, 2014), plants (Huang et al, 2015), Noctuoidea moths (Zheng et al, 2015), molluscs (Andrea et al, 2016), crickets (Hawlitschek et al, 2016), herpetofauna (Hawlitschek et al, 2016), fish (sonnet et al, 2018), spiders (Ivanov et al, 2018), but rarely focused on aquatic invertebrates (Zhou et al, 2009b;Zhou et al, 2009a), especially aquatic insects. In this study, we attempted to test the feasibility of DNA barcoding in the classification of benthic macroinvertebrates in the transboundary rivers and their affiliated water bodies of northwest China.…”