New Zealand Passerines Help Clarify the Diversification of Major Songbird Lineages during the Oligocene.

ABSTRACT: Passerines are the largest avian order, and the 6,000 species comprise more than half of all extant bird species. This successful radiation probably had its origin in the Australasian region, but dating this origin has been difficult due to a scarce fossil record and poor biogeographic assumptions. Many of New Zealand's endemic passerines fall within the deeper branches of the passerine radiation, and a well resolved phylogeny for the modern New Zealand element in the deeper branches of the oscine lineage will help us understand both oscine and passerine biogeography. To this end we present complete mitochondrial genomes representing all families of New Zealand passerines in a phylogenetic framework of over 100 passerine species. Dating analyses of this robust phylogeny suggest Passeriform

SUBMITTER: Gibb GC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5635589 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature