BirdForum is the net's largest birding community dedicated to wild birds and birding, and is absolutely FREE!

Register for an account to take part in lively discussions in the forum, post your pictures in the gallery and more.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Peter Kovalik" data-source="post: 3506609" data-attributes="member: 80630"><a href="http://jboyd.net/Taxo/changes.html" target="_blank">TiF Update January 4, 2017</a>Weavers: The weavers have been rearranged based mainly on De Silva et al. (2017), with some help from the barcoding results of Sonet et al. (2011), who did not provide a tree. Raty did, but cautions that the barcoding data is quite limited and that the result has has no real statistical support. Indeed, when compared to De Silva et al. (2017), there are some odd placements. Nonetheless, I have treated close relationships as having some meaning. When combined with traditional taxonomy, this has allowed me to regroup Textor (formerly the African Ploceus). Keep in mind that I previously restricted the name Ploceus to the Asian species. The two Madagascan weavers are separated as Nelicurvius, with some of the African Textor being moved to Malimbus. Although Sonet et al.'s data indicate that the Golden Palm Weaver is close to Nelicurvius, I have considerable doubts about this and have retained it in Textor.I have merged Pseudonigrita into Philetairus as they are closely related. Note that the main time-calibration in De Silva et al. (2017) is way too old as the whole family is probably not more than 20 million years old. I have separated Pachyphantes from Textor and placed it near Quela based on the barcoding data. I have also merged Brachycope into Euplectes, again based on the barcoding data, and merged Anaplectes into Malimbus based on De Silva et al. (2017).The tree in De Silva et al. (2017) encouraged me to acknowledge the split of Aldabra Fody, Foudia aldabrana, from Comoros Fody, Foudia eminentissima.I have also removed the alternate English name African Golden-Weaver from Southern Masked Weaver, Textor velatus and removed the hyphens from Masked and Golden Weavers.</blockquote>

Verification