Phylogenetic relationships of weaverbirds (Aves: Ploceidae): A first robust phylogeny based on mitochondrial and nuclear markers

[Display omitted] •Family Ploceidae is monophyletic, and has a mid-Miocene origin.•Seven distinct clades and four subfamilies identified within the family.•Ploceus is polyphyletic; African Ploceus inseparable from Malimbus and Anaplectes.•The monotypic subfamily Amlyospizinae is reestablished.•Madag...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular phylogenetics and evolution 2017-04, Vol.109, p.21-32
Main Authors: De Silva, Thilina N., Peterson, A. Townsend, Bates, John M., Fernando, Sumudu W., Girard, Matthew G.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Avian phylogenetics
Avian Proteins - genetics
Bayes Theorem
Cell Nucleus - genetics
DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics
Evolution, Molecular
Genetic Markers
Genetic Speciation
Mitochondria - genetics
Multilocus Sequence Typing
Nelicurvius
Passeriformes - genetics
Phylogeny
Ploceidae
Systematics
Taxonomy
Weaverbird
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Summary:[Display omitted] •Family Ploceidae is monophyletic, and has a mid-Miocene origin.•Seven distinct clades and four subfamilies identified within the family.•Ploceus is polyphyletic; African Ploceus inseparable from Malimbus and Anaplectes.•The monotypic subfamily Amlyospizinae is reestablished.•Madagascan Ploceus (Nelicurvius) is distinct from African Ploceus. Weaverbirds are a diverse passerine group with species diversity concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa. No comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis regarding relationships of weaverbirds has been produced, however, so we developed a first extensive phylogeny for the family Ploceidae, based on a multilocus dataset of three mitochondrial loci and four nuclear markers. Analysis of these data offered strong support for monophyly of the family and revealed seven distinct clades within Ploceidae. A major feature of our results is broad polyphyly of Ploceus: Asian Ploceus species should retain the generic name, whereas African Ploceus, together with Anaplectes, should be placed in Malimbus. In light of deep divergence, we assign the Malagasy Ploceus species to their own genus, Nelicurvius. Divergence time analysis based on DNA substitution rates suggests a mid-Miocene origin of the family. This study lays a foundation for an array of future studies of character evolution, biogeography, and evolutionary history of the family.
ISSN:1055-7903
1095-9513
DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2016.12.013