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Parus spp. (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter egalinou
- Start date
egalinou said:
Family divorse and separation papers were signed some months ago, t'was a mighty bust up - Marsh and Willow Tits have gone off in a huff on their own too.
There was a thread on Birdforum at the time, I'll see if I can unearth it.
The following is from the BOU WEBSITE...
Generic limits of tits
Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the tits (Paridae) based on mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences (Gill et al. 2005. Auk122: 121–143) suggests the existence of six major clades among species traditionally included in Parus: blue tits ('Cyanistes'), great tits (Parus s.s.), North American crested tits ('Baeolophus'), Eurasian crested tits ('Lophophanes'), coal tits ('Periparus') and chickadees ('Poecile'). The data indicate that the blue tits (P. caeruleus, P. cyanus) branched off before all other species of Parus (s.l.). However, their phylogenetic position relative to Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus and Sultan Tit Melanochlora sultanea differed between analyses. Pseudopodoces humilis, previously misclassified in Corvidae, was sister to the great tits in one analysis but basal to all tits except 'Cyanistes', Sylviparus and Melanochlora in another. The position of Pseudopodoces humilis among tits was previously suggested by James et al. (2003. Ibis145: 185–202) based on morphological and preliminary mitochondrial DNA data. Gill et al. (2005) proposed to recognize nine genera of tits. They argued that, in addition to Pseudopodoces, Sylviparus and Melanochlora, the six groups of Parus should each be elevated to generic level. Recognizing (i) that Parus would not be monophyletic if the status quo is maintained, (ii) that inclusion of Pseudopodoces, Sylviparus and Melanochlora in Parus would result in an even more diverse taxon, and (iii) that Parus already is one of the largest genera of birds, we have adopted the arrangement proposed by Gill et al. (2005). The tits on the British List should be listed as follows:
• Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
• Great Tit Parus major
• Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus
• Coal Tit Periparus ater
• Willow Tit Poecile montanus
• Marsh Tit Poecile palustris
Generic limits of tits
Molecular phylogenetic analysis of the tits (Paridae) based on mitochondrial cytochrome b sequences (Gill et al. 2005. Auk122: 121–143) suggests the existence of six major clades among species traditionally included in Parus: blue tits ('Cyanistes'), great tits (Parus s.s.), North American crested tits ('Baeolophus'), Eurasian crested tits ('Lophophanes'), coal tits ('Periparus') and chickadees ('Poecile'). The data indicate that the blue tits (P. caeruleus, P. cyanus) branched off before all other species of Parus (s.l.). However, their phylogenetic position relative to Yellow-browed Tit Sylviparus modestus and Sultan Tit Melanochlora sultanea differed between analyses. Pseudopodoces humilis, previously misclassified in Corvidae, was sister to the great tits in one analysis but basal to all tits except 'Cyanistes', Sylviparus and Melanochlora in another. The position of Pseudopodoces humilis among tits was previously suggested by James et al. (2003. Ibis145: 185–202) based on morphological and preliminary mitochondrial DNA data. Gill et al. (2005) proposed to recognize nine genera of tits. They argued that, in addition to Pseudopodoces, Sylviparus and Melanochlora, the six groups of Parus should each be elevated to generic level. Recognizing (i) that Parus would not be monophyletic if the status quo is maintained, (ii) that inclusion of Pseudopodoces, Sylviparus and Melanochlora in Parus would result in an even more diverse taxon, and (iii) that Parus already is one of the largest genera of birds, we have adopted the arrangement proposed by Gill et al. (2005). The tits on the British List should be listed as follows:
• Blue Tit Cyanistes caeruleus
• Great Tit Parus major
• Crested Tit Lophophanes cristatus
• Coal Tit Periparus ater
• Willow Tit Poecile montanus
• Marsh Tit Poecile palustris
cuckooroller
Registered User
Perhaps the most illuminating recent work done after Gill's rearrangement is "A preliminary review of the Aegithalidae, Remizidae and Paridae, Eck, S & J. Martens. Zool.Med.Leiden 80-5 (1), 21.xii.2006". A number of rather surprising splits, and relumps, and a good discussion of higher taxonomy, including Pseudopodoces perhaps a sister species to the species around P. major. But, I won't say more until I have had time to read it through several times and digest it myself. It just came out.
Last edited:
egalinou
Well-known member
I found the names in a Norwegian site called Cyberbirding (http://cyberbirding.uib.no)
cuckooroller
Registered User
pianoman said:
Hi Pianoman,
Yes, perhaps. However, certainly understandable given that until relatively recently avian systematists could only work with comparative anatomy, gross morphology and behavioral information. This is quite certainly an aberrant Tit for many reasons...
