Shall we chat? Evolutionary relationships in the genus Cercomela (Muscicapidae) and its relation to Oenanthe reveals extensive polyphyly among chats distributed in Africa, India and the Palearctic

Outlaw, Robert K.; Voelker, Gary; Bowie, Rauri C. K.

doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.09.023

Cited by 37 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…This sample was added to a dataset consisting of other Myrmecocichla arnotti samples, Myrmecocichla formicivora, and a suite of close relatives from the genera Oenanthe, Cercomela and Thamnolaea (Outlaw et al 2010;Voelker and Bowie, unpublished data). Analyses of individual sequences were performed using maximum likelihood (ML) in PAUP*4.0b10 (Swofford 2002).…”

Section: Molecular Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geographically structured plumage variation among populations of White-headed Black Chat (Myrmecocichla arnotti) in Tanzania confirms the race collaris to be a valid taxon

et al. 2010

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A remarkable number of new vertebrate species have been discovered in Tanzania in the last 30 years. These discoveries have mainly been centred in the montane highlands, particularly the Eastern Arc Mountains. More recently, research in the often difficult to access interior of Tanzania has begun to reveal a unique avian community with associated endemic taxa. One such endemic taxon is the collaris race of the White-headed Black Chat Myrmecocichla arnotti. First described by Reichenow in 1882, collaris was found to be morphologically distinct from the nominate form, in that females possess a complete white collar. However, due to a lack of knowledge about the development of adult plumage, the distributional range, and the lack of diagnostic features among males of the different White-headed Black Chat races, collaris specimens were generally considered aberrant, and the name largely disappeared from the literature by 1910. Here, we report the results of morphological and genetic analyses, and detailed observations of this chat in what we now know to be the centre of its distributional range in Ruaha National Park, Tanzania. Our results suggest that all birds from west of the Eastern Arc and southern Tanzanian highlands are of the white-collared form, which we suggest should be accorded species rank and named Myrmecocichla collaris, the Ruaha Chat.

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Section: Molecular Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geographically structured plumage variation among populations of White-headed Black Chat (Myrmecocichla arnotti) in Tanzania confirms the race collaris to be a valid taxon

et al. 2010

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“…(Ronquist and Huelsenbeck 2003). Following Outlaw et al (2010), the trees were rooted using several species of stonechats (Saxicola), rock-thrushes (Monticola), the Orange-flanked Bush-robin (Tarsiger cyanurus), two species of nightingales (Luscinia luscinia and L. megarhynchos) and the Rufous-backed Redstart (Phoenicurus erythronotus) as outgroups (see Table 1). …”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Italy, France and Spain). The phylogenetic relationships among other Oenanthe species at the base of the tree have been previously recovered and discussed in Aliabadian et al (2007) and Outlaw et al (2010).…”

Section: Phylogenetic Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

Phylogeography, pre-zygotic isolation and taxonomic status in the endemic Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca

et al. 2011

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The insular endemic Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca has been considered as a subspecies of Pied Wheatear O. pleschanka. However, due to several differences in behaviour, habitat selection and morphology, it is currently treated by most authors as an independent species. Here, we used mitochondrial nucleotide sequences of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene (679 base pairs), playback experiments and dummy presentations to assess the status of O. cypriaca. For the playback experiments we used the conspecific song, and heterospecific songs of the two subspecies of Black-eared Wheatear O. hispanica hispanica and O. hispanica melanoleuca, O. pleschanka, and Finsch's Wheatear O. finschii. Experimental dummy presentations included O. cypriaca, O. pleschanka and a dark and light morph of O. h. melanoleuca. O. cypriaca responded significantly stronger towards the conspecific model and towards conspecific playbacks than towards heterospecific stimuli. ML and BI analyses support the close relationship between O. cypriaca, O. pleschanka and O. h. melanoleuca. With a relative high posterior probability value (0.98), O. cypriaca clusters closer to O. h. melanoleuca from Iran and Israel (on migration) and O. pleschanka from Iran than to O. pleschanka obtained from Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and wintering areas in East Africa (Kenya). The scenario suggests that O. cypriaca might be either a relatively young taxon, which is yet behavioural distinct, but genetically still similar to its sister populations on the mainland. Alternatively, we may assume a close relationship as an indication for potential ongoing hybridisation processes involving all three forms.

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“…2007; Zuccon & Ericson in press), Oenanthe and Cercomela (Aliabadian et al. 2007; Outlaw et al. in press), Saxicola (Illera et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A multi-gene phylogeny disentangles the chat-flycatcher complex (Aves: Muscicapidae)

Zuccon¹,

Ericson²

2010

Zoologica Scripta

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Zuccon, D. & Ericson, P. G. P. (2010). A multi-gene phylogeny disentangles the chatflycatcher complex (Aves: Muscicapidae).-Zoologica Scripta, 39, 213-224. We reconstructed the first well-sampled phylogenetic hypothesis in the chat-flycatcher complex combining nuclear and mitochondrial sequences. The dichotomy between chatsterrestrial feeders and flycatchers-aerial feeders does not reflect monophyletic groups. The flycatching behaviour and morphological adaptations to aerial feeding (short tarsi, broad bill, rictal bristles) evolved independently from chat ancestors in three different lineages. The genera Alethe, Brachypteryx, and Myiophonus are nested within the Muscicapidae radiation and their morphological and behavioural similarities with the true thrushes Turdidae are presumably the result of convergence. The postulated close relationships among Erithacus, Luscinia and Tarsiger cannot be confirmed. Erithacus is part of the African forest robin assemblage (Cichladusa, Cossypha, Pogonocichla, Pseudalethe, Sheppardia, Stiphrornis), while Luscinia and Tarsiger belong to a large, mainly Asian radiation. Enicurus belongs to the same Asian clade and it does not deserve the recognition as a distinct subfamily or tribe. We found good support also for an assemblage of chats adapted to arid habitats (Monticola, Oenanthe, Thamnolaea, Myrmecocichla, Pentholaea, Cercomela, Saxicola, Campicoloides, Pinarochroa) and a redstart clade (Phoenicurus, Chaimarrornis and Rhyacornis). Five genera (Muscicapa, Copsychus, Thamnolaea, Luscinia and Ficedula) are polyphyletic and in need of taxonomic revision.

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Shall we chat? Evolutionary relationships in the genus Cercomela (Muscicapidae) and its relation to Oenanthe reveals extensive polyphyly among chats distributed in Africa, India and the Palearctic

Cited by 37 publications

References 27 publications

Geographically structured plumage variation among populations of White-headed Black Chat (Myrmecocichla arnotti) in Tanzania confirms the race collaris to be a valid taxon

Geographically structured plumage variation among populations of White-headed Black Chat (Myrmecocichla arnotti) in Tanzania confirms the race collaris to be a valid taxon

Phylogeography, pre-zygotic isolation and taxonomic status in the endemic Cyprus Wheatear Oenanthe cypriaca

A multi-gene phylogeny disentangles the chat-flycatcher complex (Aves: Muscicapidae)

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