Dataset Information

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 Passeriformes originated in the early Paleocene, with the major lineages of oscines "escaping" from Australasia about 30 Ma, and radiating throughout the world during the Oligocene. This independently derived conclusion is consistent with the passerine fossil record.

SUBMITTER: Gibb GC

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

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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

Gibb Gillian C GC England Ryan R Hartig Gerrit G McLenachan Patricia A Trish PA Taylor Smith Briar L BL McComish Bennet J BJ Cooper Alan A Penny David D

Genome biology and evolution 20151015 11

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 osci ...[more]

PMID: 26475316

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Dataset Information

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

Publications

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

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