Integrative taxonomy of the northern White-browed Shortwing Brachypteryx montana taxa supports recognition of three species
Pamela C Rasmussen • Per Alstrom • Xia Canwei • Guoling Cheen • Magnus Gelang • Liu Yang
'The White-browed Shortwing Brachypteryx montana sensu lato is widespread from the central Himalayas to southeastern mainland China, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia. Multiple subspecies are recognised, several of which have recently been suggested to be treated as separate species based on differences in morphology and songs. We here analyse plumage, morphometrics, songs, two mitochondrial and two nuclear markers, and geographical distributions of the two mainland Asian taxa B. m. cruralis and B. m. sinensis and the Taiwanese B. m. goodfellowi. We conclude that these taxa differ congruently in morphology, songs and DNA. Brachypteryx m. goodfellowi is most divergent in plumage, and is sexually monomorphic, unlike the two others, although this taxon and B. m. sinensis are most similar in song and are sisters. We also found notable range extensions of B. m. sinensis and that this taxon and B. m. cruralis are in sympatry in Sichuan Province, China. We also found deep genetic divergence between the three mainland Asian/Taiwanese taxa and B. m. montana of Java, in combination with differences in plumage and songs. In conclusion, our data support a recent treatment of the three mainland Asian and Taiwanese taxa as three species, using different methodology. We agree that these three mainland taxa should be treated as specifically distinct from B. m. montana and other insular Sundaic taxa: Himalayan Shortwing B. cruralis, Chinese Shortwing B. sinensis and Taiwanese Shortwing B. goodfellowi.'
Pamela C Rasmussen • Per Alstrom • Xia Canwei • Guoling Cheen • Magnus Gelang • Liu Yang
'The White-browed Shortwing Brachypteryx montana sensu lato is widespread from the central Himalayas to southeastern mainland China, Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia. Multiple subspecies are recognised, several of which have recently been suggested to be treated as separate species based on differences in morphology and songs. We here analyse plumage, morphometrics, songs, two mitochondrial and two nuclear markers, and geographical distributions of the two mainland Asian taxa B. m. cruralis and B. m. sinensis and the Taiwanese B. m. goodfellowi. We conclude that these taxa differ congruently in morphology, songs and DNA. Brachypteryx m. goodfellowi is most divergent in plumage, and is sexually monomorphic, unlike the two others, although this taxon and B. m. sinensis are most similar in song and are sisters. We also found notable range extensions of B. m. sinensis and that this taxon and B. m. cruralis are in sympatry in Sichuan Province, China. We also found deep genetic divergence between the three mainland Asian/Taiwanese taxa and B. m. montana of Java, in combination with differences in plumage and songs. In conclusion, our data support a recent treatment of the three mainland Asian and Taiwanese taxa as three species, using different methodology. We agree that these three mainland taxa should be treated as specifically distinct from B. m. montana and other insular Sundaic taxa: Himalayan Shortwing B. cruralis, Chinese Shortwing B. sinensis and Taiwanese Shortwing B. goodfellowi.'