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Meliphagoidea (1 Viewer)

Peñalba, Mason, Schodde, Moritz, Josepf. 2017. Characterizing divergence through three adjacent Australian avian transition zones. J. Biogeog.
[abstract & supp.info.]

(Taxa / complexes of taxa included in the study:
  • Malurus amabilis
  • Gerygone magnirostris cairnsensis
  • Philemon buceroides yorki
  • Philemon corniculatus monachus - Ph. c. corniculatus
  • Philemon citreogularis sordidus - Ph. c. citreogularis
  • Stomiopera unicolor
  • Lichmera indistincta ocularis - L. i. indistincta
  • Ramsayornis fasciatus
  • Ramsayornis modestus
  • Myzomela obscura harterti
  • Malurus melanocephalus melanocephalus - M. m. cruentatus
  • Pardalotus rubricatus rubricatus - P. r. yorki
  • Pardalotus striatus melanocephalus - P. s. melvillensis
  • Smicrornis brevirostris brevirostris - S. b. flavescens
  • Gerygone olivacea olivacea - G. o. cinerascens
  • Gerygone palpebrosa flavida - G. p. personata
  • Gerygone levigaster cantator - G. l. levigaster
  • Entomyzon cyanotis cyanotis - E. c. griseigularis
  • Meliphaga notata mixta - M. n notata
  • Microptilotis gracilis imitatrix - M. g. gracilis
  • Stomiopera flava addenda - S. f. flava
  • Melithreptus albogularis inopinatus - M. a. albogularis
  • Sericornis magnirostra magnirostra - S. m. viridior - S. beccarii dubius/minimus
  • Xanthotis macleayanus - X. flaviventer filiger
  • Gavicalis fasciogularis - G. versicolor versicolor
  • Ptilotula fusca - P. flavescens flavescens
  • Myzomela sanguinolenta - M. erythrocephala erythrocephala
)
 
Peñalba, Mason, Schodde, Moritz, Josepf. 2017. Characterizing divergence through three adjacent Australian avian transition zones. J. Biogeog.

This is not a taxonomic paper but nevertheless delivers some stand-out results:
1. Confirms a very deep, clearly species-level genetic split in White-throated Honeyeater (confirming Toon et al's 2010 result)
In M. albogularis, our data affirm Toon, Hughes, and Joseph’s (2010) earlier finding that mitochondrial and nuclear genetic divergences are far deeper than expected in our study region. Clearly, the possibility of cryptic speciation in this case needs to be examined more closely.

2. Another very deep genetic gap (2.4% mtDNA) in Dusky Honeyeater across the Torresian gap - so completely cryptic within current subspecies harterti (!!!) - that one will need broader NG sampling to sort out;
M. obscura in eastern Australia is recognized as a single subspecies, M. o. harterti, yet it shows relatively deep divergence and reciprocal monophyly for mtDNA at the TB (Figure 2). This species would benefit from a broader biogeographical study, including all of its populations in Australia and New Guinea, so that the diversity we have observed can be placed in a more complete phylogeographical context.

3. Divergence of the Cape York (nom.) form of Graceful Honeyeater also deep and approaching species-level (1.88% mtDNA, 1.1 autosomal), and could probably be argued that direction if someone studied it properly (eg. unique song);

4. From the sampling info it looks like the mystery 'Herberton Honeyeater' was included and is a hybrid closer to Fuscous Honeyeater on mtDNA.
 
Peñalba, Joseph, Moritz. 2017. Current geography masks dynamic history of gene flow during speciation in northern Australian birds. bioRxiv preprint.
[whole paper]

(Taxa:
Gerygone magnirostris magnirostris - G. m. brunneipectus - G. m. cairnsensis
Philemon buceroides gordoni - P. b. novaeguineae - P. b. yorki
Entomyzon cyanotis albipennis - E. c. griseigularis - E. c. cyanotis
Melithreptus albogularis albogularis - M. a. inopinatus
Philemon citreogularis sordidus - P. c. citreogularis
Lichmera indistincta indistincta - L. i. ocularis
Myzomela obscura obscura - M. o. fumata - M. o. harteri
Ptilotula flavescens - P. fuscus
)
 
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