From Opus

Genus: Pitohui

[edit] Description

The Pitohui of New Guinea are famous for containing toxic substances that may be used for defence.

[edit] Taxonomy

Pitohui is a genus in the family Pachycephalidae. A recent study¹ reports that this genus is polyphyletic, i.e., it should either be split or some additional species be added until it becomes monophyletic (monophyletic means that all ofspring of the last common ancestor of the included species are included in the grouping). The study additionally proposes that some of the similarities seen among the species have evolved as mimicry, and that toxicity has developed several times among the ancestors of the Pitohui.

[edit] References

Dumbacher JP, Deiner K, Thompson L, Fleischer RC. 2008. Mol Phylogenet Evol. Abstract read in November 2008.