The Phylogeny and Classification of the Australo-Papuan Passerine Birds

The Relationships of Four Species of New Zealand Passerine Birds

“…The single-copy tracer DNA of the Fernbird was hybridised with the driver DNAs of a wide array of passerines, including representatives of the six superfamilies we have recognised from previous DNA-DNA comparisons (Sibley & Ahlquist 1985). The average delta TsoH for two comparisons between the Fernbird and the Little Grassbird Megulurus grumineus is 1.1 (Fig.…”

“…Sibley & Ahlquist (1983, 1985 describe the technique, the tentative dating calibration in absolute time, and the construction of a classification from the phylogeny inferred from DNA-DNA hybridisation comparisons.…”

The Unusual Syrinx Morphology of Australian TreecreepersClimacteris

“…Considering the relative uniformity of the syrinx among the other oscines and their great radiation in other morphological and vocal characteristics, the treecreeper syrinx suggests long separation from the main stem of oscine evolution or a high selective pressure for this type of syrinx. Sibley & Ahlquist (1985) conclude, on the basis of biochemical evidence, that the treecreepers diverged very early from the main evolutionary line of the AustraloPapuan oscines, even before the lyrebirds (Menura) and scrub-birds (Atrichomis). The syringeal evidence supports their conclusion but too little is known at present about the adaptive value of syringeal specialisations to allow one to draw further conclusions about the relationships of the treecreepers.…”

The Mistletoebird and Australian Mistletoes: Co-evolution or Coincidence?

“…Table 1 shows that honeyeaters feed on a similar range of Australian mistletoes as does the Mistletoebird, although observations of the seed vectors of the majority (83%) of mistletoes are not yet available. The frugivorous bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchidae) are another old Australasian family (Sibley & Ahlquist 1985) that may have dispersed Australian mistletoes during the Tertiary and early Pleistocene, although there are as yet no records of them feeding on mistletoe fruit.…”

“…mangroves, savanna, lowland and montane rainforest (Keast 1958 Because bird-dispersed mistletoes have been present in Australia for much, if not the whole, of the Cenozoic (Barlow 1983), what birds dispersed mistletoes during the Tertiary if the Mistletoebird was not present? Honeyeaters (Meliphagidae) were among the first passerine families to radiate in Australia, judging from their antiquity (Sibley & Ahlquist 1985), the extent of the radiation and their occupation of numerous ecological niches (Keast 1976, 198 1). At least nine species have been recorded feeding on the fruits of various mistletoes (Reid 1986), including the frugivorous Painted Honeyeater Grantiella picta that spe- The Mistletoebird is the only species of Dicaeum in Australia.…”