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Zosteropidae (1 Viewer)

East African white-eyes

Harald Meimberg, Christina Schachtler, Manuel Curto, Martin Husemann, Jan Christian Habel. A new amplicon based approach of whole mitogenome sequencing for phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis: an example of East African white-eyes (Aves, Zosteropidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 24 May 2016.

[abstract]
 
Harald Meimberg, Christina Schachtler, Manuel Curto, Martin Husemann, Jan Christian Habel. A new amplicon based approach of whole mitogenome sequencing for phylogenetic and phylogeographic analysis: an example of East African white-eyes (Aves, Zosteropidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 24 May 2016.

[abstract]

Most interesting sentence:
Our data suggest to split Z. poliogaster into four distinct species, three of which had previously been proposed: Z. silvanus, Z. mbulensis, Z. kikyuensis and Z. kulalensis.

Niels
 
TiF Update June 3, 2016

White-eyes:

The Dark-eyed White-eye, Zosterops tetiparius, including paradoxus (called rendovae by H&M-4) has been split from the Solomons White-eye, Zosterops kulambangrae, based on H&M-4, IOC 6.2, and Moyle et al. (2009).

Based on Hayes et al. (2016), the Gray-brown White-eye, Zosterops cinereus, has been split into Kosrae White-eye, Zosterops cinereus, and Gray-brown White-eye, Zosterops ponapensis.
 
TiF Update June 9, 2016

White-eyes: Cornetti et al. (2015) found that the Small and Large Lifou White-eyes are fairly closely related (closer to each other than to the Silvereye). So I have moved the Green-backed White-eye, Zosterops xanthochroa, and Small Lifou White-eye, Zosterops minutus, to a position near the Large Lifou White-eye, Zosterops inornatus.
 
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Husemann, Sturm, Curto & Habel. Four new mitochondrial genomes of the genus Zosterops (Aves: passeriformes: Zosteropidae) from East Africa with a phylogenetic evaluation of the group. Article in Mitochondrial DNA · June 2016.

Abstract:
The white-eye birds of the genus Zosterops have been recognized for their high speciation rates in the past, but the relationships of the East African populations are not yet fully resolved. We sequenced and annotated mitogenomes of four populations currently assigned to three East African white-eye species, Zosterops senegalensis, Z. abyssinicus and Z. poliogaster. For Z. senegalensis specimens from two distant populations were sequenced; for the other taxa we used samples collected at one site. The mitogenomes ranged between 17,827 and 17,974 bp, similar to previously published mitogenomes analyzed for this genus from other geographic regions. The mitogenomes contain the classical set of 13 coding genes, two structural rRNA genes and 22 tRNA genes. We constructed a phylogeny using all complete mitogenomes currently available for the genus. The phylogeny supports an Asian or Oceanic origin of this genus. The East African species represented a monophyletic clade, but the two specimens of Zosterops senegalensis from different regions did not group together, supporting previous hypotheses of cryptic species within the genus. The new genetic resources provided here may help to further explore the relationships and evolution of the genus.
 
Graeme Oatley, Dawid H. De Swardt, Rick J. Nuttall, Timothy M. Crowe, Rauri C. K. Bowie; Phenotypic and genotypic variation across a stable white-eye (Zosterops sp.) hybrid zone in central South Africa. Biol J Linn Soc 2017 blx012. doi: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx012

Abstract
The interbreeding of two species after a period of separation (secondary contact) most often results in stable areas of hybridization or tension zones characterized by selection against hybrid individuals. Three plumage forms of Zosterops meet and interbreed in central South Africa. Here we examine how phenotypic measures (biometric and plumage) and genotypic markers (mitochondrial and nuclear DNA) change through a putative hybrid zone located in the area where the ranges of the Orange River white-eye Zosterops pallidus and a subspecies of the Cape white-eye Zosterops virens capensis meet. Four of the five sequenced loci (i.e. ATP6, MUSK, GADPH and TGF-β2) showed strong divergence and differentiation between allopatric parental populations, whereas the sex-linked CHD1Z locus exhibited high homogeneity. Microsatellite data also distinguished between pure Z. pallidus and Z. v. capensis populations. Together, the nuclear data (introns and microsatellites) identified at least 12 hybrid individuals as later generation hybrids (i.e. F2 or backcrosses), and no F1 hybrids were detected. As genetic incompatibility does not appear to play a role in restricting this stable hybrid zone, it is likely that environmental conditions including biome type and edge effect are constraining hybrid zone movement.
 
Wickramasinghe, Robin, Ramakrishnan, Reddy, Seneviratne. 2017. Non-sister Sri Lankan white-eyes (genus Zosterops) are a result of independent colonizations. PLoS ONE 12(8): e0181441.
[whole paper]
 
Zosterops ceylonensis, Z. palpebrosus

Wijesundara, C. S., and L. A. Freed. 2018. Divergence of morphological characters in two white-eye species (Passeriformes: Zosteropidae) in sympatry. Ecosphere 9(6):e02317. 10.1002/ecs2.2317

[pdf]
 
Lim, B.T.M., Sadanandan, K.R., Dingle, C. et al. Molecular evidence suggests radical revision of species limits in the great speciator white-eye genus Zosterops. J Ornithol (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-018-1583-7

Abstract:

White-eyes (Zosterops spp.) are a group of small passerines distributed across the Eastern Hemisphere that have become a textbook example of rapid speciation. However, traditional taxonomy has relied heavily on conservative plumage features to delimit white-eye species boundaries, resulting in several recent demonstrations of misclassification. Resolution of confused taxonomy is important in order to correctly delimit species and identify taxa which may require conservation, particularly in Asia where the songbird trade is decimating wild populations. In this study, we aim to untangle multiple instances of confused taxonomic treatment in three large, widespread Asian wastebasket species complexes of white-eye (Oriental White-eye Zosterops palpebrosus, Japanese White-eye Zosterops japonicus and Mountain White-eye Zosterops montanus) renowned for their conservative morphology. Using mitochondrial DNA from 173 individuals spanning 42 taxa, we uncovered extensive polyphyly in Z. palpebrosus and Z. japonicus and propose some radically revised species limits under which former members of Z. palpebrosus and Z. japonicus would be reassigned into four and two different species, respectively. The revised taxonomy results in a net loss of two previously recognized species and a net gain of two newly recognized species, leading to significant taxonomic change but a lack of additional species-level diversity. One of the newly elevated species, Zosterops melanurus from Java and Bali, is also the world’s most heavily traded songbird and requires urgent conservation attention.
 
The taxonomy of white-eyes is a never ending story. Every year there are splits and lumps. I'm curious which species will present the next surprise.
 
IOC Updates Diary Dec 7

Revise Oriental and Japanese White-eyes including 2 lumps and 3 splits.

Lumps:
Zosterops montanus, Zosterops salvadorii

Splits:
Zosterops simplex, Zosterops auriventer, Zosterops melanurus

Some really wierd biogeographics here, can’t think of any stranger. My gut feeling is something’s missing. Japanese is now Japan, Philippines and Greater and Lesser Sundas – but not Borneo! And simplex is China, then a big leap to mangroves in Thailand to Indonesia.
 
I was just coming here to say the same thing. There's some messy stuff here. For instance the authors state several times that the previous taxonomy has been wrong because of over reliance on morphological traits. Yet they propose the unsampled williamsoni to be in the "simplex" group on that and adjacency to erwini. Other things to note are that nicobaricus was also unsampled in this study, but was left in the "palpebrosus" group for now. Also unicus should be transferred to the Ashy-bellied White-eye, Z. citrinella, which has not been mentioned in the latest IOC update.
 

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