Phylogeny of babblers (Aves, Passeriformes): major lineages, family limits and classification

Abstract

Babblers, family Timaliidae, have long been subject to debate on systematic position, family limits and internal taxonomy. In this study, we use five molecular regions to estimate the relationships among a large proportion of genera traditionally placed in Timaliidae. We find good support for five main clades within this radiation, and propose a new classification, dividing the babblers into the families Sylviidae and Timaliidae. Within the latter family, four subfamilies are recognized: Zosteropinae, Timaliinae, Pellorneinae and Leiothrichinae. Several taxa, previously not studied with molecular data, are phylogenetically placed within Sylviidae or Timaliidae. This is, however, not the case for the genus Pnoepyga, for which we propose the family name Pnoepygidae fam. n.

Discovery of a relict lineage and monotypic family of passerine birds

“…The phenotypic similarities between S. formosus and some Spelaeornis and Troglodytes have apparently evolved in parallel. This has previously been shown to be the case for the Pnoepyga 'wren-babblers', which were recently placed in a monotypic family, Pnoepygidae [19].…”

“…A large fraction has been within the songbird group called 'babblers'. Based on several comprehensive molecular studies [5,6,[18][19][20], five primary clades have been identified: Timaliidae, Leiotrichidae, Pellorneidae, Zosteropidae and Sylviidae. Previously, the circumscription of Timaliidae included the majority of the 'babblers', whereas Sylviidae was traditionally applied to various groups of 'warblers' (review in [3]).…”

A review of the recent advances in the systematics of the avian superfamily Sylvioidea

“…Lewis et al, 2005;Rokas and Carroll, 2006). With respect to the relationships among the five primary "babbler" clades, using partly different loci, Gelang et al (2009), Fregin et al (2012 and Moyle et al (2012) recovered the same topology, i.e. ((((Leiotrichidae/-inae, Pellorneidae/-inae), Timaliidae/-inae), Zosteropidae/-inae), Sylviidae/-inae) (cf.…”

“…To solve this difficulty, it was suggested that Sylviidae be suppressed, and Timaliidae used for the group including mostly traditional Timaliidae species (Cibois, 2003a, b;Alström et al, 2006). However, Gelang et al (2009), again based on DNA sequence data, resurrected Sylviidae, but restricted it to a clade containing mostly traditional Timaliidae species, and this arrangement has been followed by subsequent authors (Fregin et al, 2012;Moyle et al, 2012;Gill and Donsker, 2013).…”

“…Cibois et al, 1999Helbig and Seibold, 1999;Sheldon et al, 2005;Moyle and Marks, 2006;Nguembock et al, 2007;Fregin et al, 2009;Gelang et al, 2009;Alström et al, 2011aAlström et al, , b, 2013Moyle et al, 2012;Olsson et al, 2013a). The first comprehensive study of the whole superfamily was based on one nuclear and one mitochondrial sequence.…”