AI Article Synopsis
- The affinities of the extinct New Zealand bird Piopio Turnagra capensis have been unclear, with past associations to various bird families based on weak evidence.
- A new study analyzed both genetic sequences and morphological traits, finding that Turnagra is more accurately classified within the Oriolidae family, which mainly exists in regions from Australia to Africa but not in the Pacific.
- The previous claims connecting Turnagra to the Ptilonorhynchidae family were found to be flawed due to the use of incorrect genetic data and poor analytical methods.
Article Abstract
The affinities of Piopio Turnagra capensis, an extinct New Zealand passerine, remain poorly known. It has been included into or associated with several bird families (Calleatidae, Cracticidae, Pachycephalidae, Ptilonorhynchidae, Turdidae), often on tenuous grounds. We reassessed Turnagra phylogenetic relationships using nuclear and mitochondrial sequences and a set of morphological and behavioural traits. Molecular and phenotypic characters strongly suggest a novel hypothesis, congruently placing Turnagra in Oriolidae, a highly dispersive corvoid family distributed from the Austro-Papuan landmass to Eurasia and Africa, but missing from the Pacific islands. We show also that the published molecular support to link Turnagra with Ptilonorhynchidae was biased by the use of incorrect genetic data and weak analyses.
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| http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.013 | DOI Listing |
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