Acanthisittidae (1 Viewer)

Worthy, Trevor H. , Hand, Suzanne J. , Nguyen, Jacqueline M. T. , Tennyson, Alan J. D. , Worthy, Jennifer P. , Scofield, R. Paul , Boles, Walter E. andArcher, Michael (2010) 'Biogeographical and Phylogenetic Implications of an Early Miocene Wren (Aves: Passeriformes: Acanthisittidae) from New Zealand', Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 30: 2, 479 — 498.

Abstract:
A new species and genus of acanthisittid wren (Aves: Passeriformes: Acanthisittidae) is described from the Early Miocene (19–16 Ma) St Bathans Fauna from Otago, New Zealand, based on four fossil bones. The first Tertiary fossil passerine to be described from New Zealand, it is similar in size to New Zealand’s smallest extant bird, the Rifleman Acanthisitta chloris. A phylogenetic analysis of 53 osteological characters and 24 terminal taxa, including four suboscines, basal corvoids (Menuridae, Atrichornithidae, Climacteridae, Ptilonorhynchidae, Maluridae, Dasyornithidae, Acanthizidae, Pardalotidae, Meliphagidae), and all seven Recent acanthisittid species, identifies it as the sister group to Acanthisitta. This, the first phylogenetic analysis of the basal passerine groups to use morphological characters, recovers a similar pattern of relationships of basal corvoid taxa to that obtained by recent molecular studies. The analysis also suggests that Acanthisitta chloris and the new species are the most deeply nested taxa within the family, suggesting that the radiation of Recent acanthisittids originated no later than the Early Miocene.

Available for download here in PDF format.

Kieren J. Mitchell, Jamie Wood, Bastien Llamas, R. Paul Scofield, Alan Cooper, 2014. ANCIENT DNA REVEALS PRE-OLIGOCENE DIVERSIFICATION IN THE ACANTHISITTID WRENS (ACANTHISITTIDAE). In Crampton, J.S., Hills, S.F.K. (eds) 2014. ‘GeoGenes V’ Geology and Genes V 2014 – a meeting of mudstone and molecules, Geoscience Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous publication 138. 33p.

Abstract:

It is well established that the Oligocene marine transgression drastically reduced the land
area of New Zealand, with some suggestions of complete submergence. While geological
evidence is largely equivocal on the extent of the inundation, biogeography remains a
powerful tool for addressing this question. The most convincing biogeographic evidence
against complete submergence would be the existence of multiple pre-Oligocene lineages in
an endemic clade. However, very few native New Zealand taxa meet this criterion, as most
appear to diversify well after the Oligocene, or are only represented by a single relict species.
Still others are equivocal, having crown-age estimates with error margins extending either
side of the putative submergence. The acanthisittid wrens, as one of the most diverse New
Zealand bird families, offer a powerful test of this hypothesis that has not been fully explored.
Molecular data were previously only available for three of the seven Recent species (five
extinct, two extant): the rifleman (Acanthisitta chloris), rock wren (Xenicus gilviventris) and
extinct bush wren (Xenicus longipes).
We sequenced mitochondrial genomes of three extinct species (stout-legged wren,
Pachyplichas yaldwyni; Stephen’s Island wren, Traversia lyalli; bush wren, Xenicus longipes)
and the remaining extant species (rock wren, Xenicus gilviventris) using a combination of
hybridisation enrichment and high throughput next-generation sequencing. Molecular dating
demonstrates unequivocally that the lineage leading to the Stephen’s Island wren diverged
from the common ancestor of Xenicus, Pachyplichas and Acanthisitta prior to the Oligocene.
As a result, two wren lineages survived through the Oligocene period, providing compelling
evidence against complete submergence, as the acanthisittids are ill suited to long-range,
overwater dispersal. This finding also provides clues about Oligocene paleoecology, and the
ecological characteristics of taxa that were successful during this period. Phylogenetic
analyses further suggest that the two Xenicus species (the extant rock wren and extinct bush
wren) are not monophyletic, and instead the extinct stout-legged wren and rock wren are
sister taxa, indicating a need for taxonomic reassessment of the group.

Mitchell, Wood, Llamas, McLenachan, Kardailsky, Scofield, Worthy, Cooper. (In press.) Ancient mitochondrial genomes clarify the evolutionary history of New Zealand’s enigmatic acanthisittid wrens. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol.
[abstract]
[Fig.1]
[Fig.2]

(see also [New Zealand Wrens].)

l_raty said:

Mitchell, Wood, Llamas, McLenachan, Kardailsky, Scofield, Worthy, Cooper. (In press.) Ancient mitochondrial genomes clarify the evolutionary history of New Zealand’s enigmatic acanthisittid wrens. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol.
[abstract]
[Fig.1]
[Fig.2]

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According to the article Pachyplichas should be better a synonym of Xenicus.

From the article:

Consequently, we synonymize Pachyplichas Millener, 1988 with Xenicus Gray 1855, so that Pachyplichas jagmi Millener 1988 and Pachyplichas yaldwyni Millener 1988 become Xenicus jagmi and Xenicus yaldwyni, respectively.

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l_raty said:

Mitchell, Wood, Llamas, McLenachan, Kardailsky, Scofield, Worthy, Cooper. (In press.) Ancient mitochondrial genomes clarify the evolutionary history of New Zealand’s enigmatic acanthisittid wrens. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol.
[abstract]
[Fig.1]
[Fig.2]

(see also [New Zealand Wrens].)

Click to expand...

Ethan Linck: Mitogenomes from extinct New Zealand wrens shed light on the oldest songbird lineage

l_raty said:

Mitchell, Wood, Llamas, McLenachan, Kardailsky, Scofield, Worthy, Cooper. (In press.) Ancient mitochondrial genomes clarify the evolutionary history of New Zealand’s enigmatic acanthisittid wrens. Mol. Phylogenet. Evol.

Click to expand...

[ms pdf here]