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Molecular phylogeny and systematics of Neotropical toucanets in the genus Aulacorhynchus (Aves, Ramphastidae)
Author(s) -
Bonaccorso Elisa,
Guayasamin Juan M.,
Peterson A. Townsend,
NavarroSigüenza Adolfo G.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
zoologica scripta
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.204
H-Index - 64
eISSN - 1463-6409
pISSN - 0300-3256
DOI - 10.1111/j.1463-6409.2011.00475.x
Subject(s) - biology , systematics , phylogenetics , zoology , evolutionary biology , molecular phylogenetics , genus , taxonomy (biology) , genetics , gene
Bonaccorso, E., Guayasamin, J. M., Peterson, A. T. & Navarro‐Sigüenza, A. G. (2011). Molecular phylogeny and systematics of Neotropical toucanets in the genus Aulacorhynchus (Aves, Ramphastidae). — Zoologica Scripta, 40 , 336–349. We studied the phylogenetic relationships in the genus Aulacorhynchus , an assemblage of Neotropical toucanets distributed from Mexico south to Bolivia. Based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA characters, we obtained a robust hypothesis of relationships for all recognized species, including good representation of distinct geographic populations. Our results support the monophyly of the genus Aulacorhynchus , but contradict previous taxonomic arrangements. The genus is made up of three major clades: the Aulacorhynchus prasinus complex, Aulacorhynchus huallagae + Aulacorhynchus coeruleicinctis , and Aulacorhynchus haematopygus + Aulacorhynchus sulcatus + Aulacorhynchus derbianus . Andean populations of A. derbianus are more closely related to A. sulcatus than to Pantepuian populations of A. derbianus , rendering A. derbianus paraphyletic. Based on the molecular phylogeny, and information on geographic distributions and morphological and behavioural characters, we review the specific status of these taxa and propose a new taxonomic arrangement within Aulacorhynchus .