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Cisticolidae (1 Viewer)

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O. R. Davies. Chapter 3. Molecular phylogeny of cisticolas, p. 61:
This study presents the most taxon-inclusive phylogenetic analysis on the genus to date and gives evidence for the splitting of C. marginatus into two species, one including the west African subspecies (C. m. marginatus/amphilectus/zalingei) and a second that includes the east African subspecies (C. m. nyansae/suahelicus). There is also a case for the elevation of C. lais distinctus to full species rank and, while this study provides little support for the recognition of C. bodessa as anything more than a subspecies of C. chiniana, additional samples are required to rule out effects of potential hybridisation and to better determine validity of the species.
 
Artisornis

Bowie, R.C.K., Pasquet, E., McEntee, J.P., Njilima, F., Fjeldså, J., The systematics and biogeography of African tailorbirds (Cisticolidae: Artisornis) with comment on the choice of Bayesian branch-length prior when analyzing heterogeneous data, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (2017), doi: http://dx.doi.org/
10.1016/j.ympev.2017.08.011

abstract:


The Long-billed Tailorbird (Artisornis moreaui), one of Africa’s rarest birds, has a strikingly disjunct distribution, the origin of which has long puzzled biogeographers. One small population (subspecies moreaui) occurs in montane forest in the East Usambara Mountains, a montane sky island near the coast of northern Tanzania, and another (subspecies sousae) on Serra Jeci in northwestern Mozambique, 950 km away. At both sites, the Long-billed Tailorbird co-occurs with its putative sister-species the African Tailorbird (Artisornis metopias). At Serra Jeci, Long-billed Tailorbirds are observed primarily in the mid-canopy and African Tailorbirds in the understorey. This situation contrasts with that in East Usambara Mountains, where both species make extensive use of the understorey (<5 m). The apparent difference in canopy strata occupancy of Long-billed Tailorbird between the East Usambara and Serra Jeci formed the basis for Stuart’s (1981) hypothesis that African Tailorbirds have forced Long-billed Tailorbirds out of the understorey at Serra Jeci through competitive exclusion. We sought to 1) determine that the two species of African Tailorbird are indeed sister-species, and 2) test Stuart’s (1981) competitive exclusion hypothesis. Phylogenetic analyses of our seven gene dataset (3 mtDNA, 4 introns; 4784 bp) places these two species together in the genus Artisornis. We recover deep genetic divergence with geographic structure among populations of both tailorbird species, a result consistent with long-term co-existence of the two species. Thus, our data are consistent with the two species having achieved equilibrium and with successful resource partitioning having taken place over evolutionary time. From a conservation standpoint, our results suggest that extinction of the Long-billed Tailorbird as a function of competition with African Tailorbird is highly unlikely and should not be viewed as imminent. Finally, our empirical results suggest that mis-specification of the branch-length prior in Bayesian analyses of mitochondrial DNA data can have a profound effect on the overall tree-length (sum of branch-lengths), whereas the topology and support values tend to remain more stable. In contrast, mis-specification of the branch-length prior had a lesser impact on all aspects of the nuclear-only DNA analyses. This problem may be exacerbated when mitochondrial and nuclear DNA analyses are combined in a total evidence approach.
 
Prinia crinigera / P. polychroa

Alström, P., Rasmussen, P.C., Sangster, G., Dalvi, S., Round, P.D., Zhang, R., Yao, C.-t., Irestedt, M., Le Manh, H., Lei, F. & Olsson, U. 2019. Multiple species within the Striated Prinia Prinia crinigera-Brown Prinia P. polychroa complex revealed by integrative taxonomy. Ibis
 
Prinia

Alström, P., Rasmussen, P.C., Sangster, G., Dalvi, S., Round, P.D., Zhang, R., Yao, C.-t., Irestedt, M., Le Manh, H., Lei, F. & Olsson, U. 2019. Multiple species within the Striated Prinia Prinia crinigera-Brown Prinia P. polychroa complex revealed by integrative taxonomy. Ibis

Available online https://doi.org/10.1111/ibi.12759

Abstract:

We re‐evaluated the taxonomy of the Striated Prinia Prinia crinigera‐Brown Prinia P. polychroa complex using molecular, morphological and vocal analyses. The extensive seasonal, sexual, age‐related, geographic, and taxon‐specific variation in this complex has never before been adequately studied. As no previous genetic or vocal analyses focused on this group, misinterpretation of taxonomic signals from limited conventional morphological study alone was likely. Using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, we found that P. crinigera sensu lato (s.l.) comprises two non‐sister groups of taxa (Himalayan crinigera and Chinese striata groups) that differ substantially morphologically and vocally, and that are broadly sympatric in Yunnan Province, China. Prinia polychroa cooki (Myanmar) and P. p. rocki (southern Vietnam) are each morphologically, vocally and genetically distinct. Thai, Cambodian and Laotian populations formerly ascribed to P. p. cooki are morphologically and vocally most similar to and most closely related to Javan P. p. polychroa, and require a new name, proposed here. Prinia p. bangsi of Yunnan is part of the crinigera group rather than of P. polychroa, and hence there is no evidence for sympatry between P. polychroa s.l. and P. crinigera s.l., nor of the occurrence of P. polychroa in mainland China or Taiwan. We recommend the recognition of five species in the complex, with the following suggestions for new English names: Himalayan Prinia P. crinigera sensu stricto (s.s.; with subspecies striatula, crinigera, yunnanensis and bangsi); Chinese Prinia P. striata (subspecies catharia, parumstriata and striata); Burmese Prinia P. cooki (monotypic); Annam Prinia P. rocki (monotypic); and Deignan's Prinia P. polychroa s.s. (subspecies Javan polychroa and the new Southeast Asian taxon). This study underscores the importance of using multiple data sets for the elucidation of diversity of cryptic bird species and their evolutionary history and biogeography.
 
Thai, Cambodian and Laotian populations formerly ascribed to P. p. cooki are morphologically and vocally most similar to and most closely related to Javan P. p. polychroa, and require a new name, proposed here.
Prinia polychroa deignani Alström, Rasmussen, Sangster, Dalvi, Round, Zhang, Yao, Irestedt, Le Manh, Lei & Olsson 2019.

(Holotype: USNM 450982. Type locality: "Siam: Kamphaeng Phet; Ban Khlong Khlung (c. 16.18N, 99.72E)".)
 
Prinia polychroa deignani Alström, Rasmussen, Sangster, Dalvi, Round, Zhang, Yao, Irestedt, Le Manh, Lei & Olsson 2019.

Etymology. We wish to honour Herbert Girton Deignan (1906–1968) for his contributions to understanding of this complex specifically, and to Thai birds in general, by naming this new subspecies after him.

Oddly, P. p. deignani is proposed as a new subspecies but, as far as I can see, the name is used earlier in the paper than it is proposed without any indication that it is a new name.
 
the name is used earlier in the paper than
As far as the ICZN is concerned, unless a paper is effectively published in parts issued separately at different dates (e.g., a paper starting in an issue of a journal, and ending in the next one), no part of it can be deemed to be "earlier" (or "later") than the rest. So there should be no problem.
 
As far as the ICZN is concerned, unless a paper is effectively published in parts issued separately at different dates (e.g., a paper starting in an issue of a journal, and ending in the next one), no part of it can be deemed to be "earlier" (or "later") than the rest. So there should be no problem.

I did not mean to suggest that it was a problem, merely that I think it's rather confusing/unhelpful.
 
I did not mean to suggest that it was a problem, merely that I think it's rather confusing/unhelpful.
OK. Yes, when you run into a sentence like:
Treatment of deignani as a distinct species would be further supported by the widely allopatric distributions of core ‘cooki’ and Javan polychroa [...]
...and you have not been told (yet) that "deignani" and "core ‘cooki’" are the same thing, it may indeed be a bit confusing. ;)
 
Prinia striata, P. cooki, P. rocki

Alström, P., Rasmussen, P.C., Sangster, G., Dalvi, S., Round, P.D., Zhang, R., Yao, C.-t., Irestedt, M., Le Manh, H., Lei, F. & Olsson, U. 2019. Multiple species within the Striated Prinia Prinia crinigera-Brown Prinia P. polychroa complex revealed by integrative taxonomy. Ibis

IOC Updates Diary Dec 18

Accept proposed split of Annam Prinia

Accept proposed split of Burmese Prinia

Accept proposed split of Chinese Prinia
 
As above:
We recommend the recognition of five species in the complex, with the following suggestions for new English names: Himalayan Prinia P. crinigera sensu stricto (s.s.; with subspecies striatula, crinigera, yunnanensis and bangsi); Chinese Prinia P. striata (subspecies catharia, parumstriata and striata); Burmese Prinia P. cooki (monotypic); Annam Prinia P. rocki (monotypic); and Deignan's Prinia P. polychroa s.s. (subspecies Javan polychroa and the new Southeast Asian taxon)

I guess the authors were not aware of https://www.hbw.com/species/chinese-prinia-prinia-sonitans


edit: I wonder if IOC will adopt Himalayan Prinia & Deignan's Prinia
 
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