PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF THE MADAGASCAR PYGMY KINGFISHER (ISPIDINA MADAGASCARIENSIS)

Auk, The, Oct 2005 by Marks, Ben D, Willard, David E

Among the terrestrial vertebrates of Madagascar, biogeographic origins remain an interesting and, in many cases, unresolved issue. One family of frogs appears to have African relationships, a second is likely sister to an Asian family, and the third may not be monophyletic (Glaw and Vences 2003). Raxworthy (2003) states that no Malagasy reptile group has a well-supported phylogeny supporting sister relationships with any Asian group, but questions of over-water dispersal versus Gondwanan breakup relics have yet to be answered. Among mammals, the carnivores (Yoder et al. 2003), primates (Yoder et al. 1996), and tenrecs (Oison and Goodman 2003) all have fairly well-established African connections, but endemic rodent origins (Jansa et al. 1999, Jansa and Carleton 2003) remain unresolved.

Our results show that the Madagascar Pygmy Kingfisher is most closely related to African taxa. Unfortunately, because there have been so few studies directed at determining the origins of the Madagascar avifauna, it is far too early to make generalizations about the avifauna as a whole. Prum (1993) concluded that the endemic family of asities and sunbird-asities (Philepittidae) is embedded in the broadbill family (Eurylaimidae) and sister to the African genus Pseudocalyptomena. The Madagascar Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus newtoni) has been shown to have African relationships (Leisler et al. 1997, Helbig and Seibold 1999). The Madagascar Wagtail (Motacilla flaviventris) is sister to the African M. clara and M. capensis (Voelker 2002). The foudies (ιaudio) appear to be closest to the African genera Euplectes and Quelea (Craig 1999). On the other hand, Payne (1997) suggested that the endemic cuckoo genus Coua is closest to Asian cuckoos in the subfamily Phaenicophaeinae. Craig (1999) leaves open the possibility of an Asian origin for Malagasy Ploceus. Three species, the bulbul Hypsipetes madagascariensis, the thrush Copsychus albospecularis, and the starling Hartlaubius auratus (often included in Saroglossa) are all in Asian genera, but as Schulenberg (2003) points out, their relationships "should be confirmed rather than assumed." The origins of the two impressive radiations of Malagasy passerines, the Malagasy warblers and the Vangidae, while showing some indications of African origin, are still unresolved pending more complete taxon sampling (Cibois et al. 2001, Yamagishi et al. 2001, Fuchs et al. 2004). Beyond these, there is a litany of Malagasy species, some in endemic genera and some in genera shared with both Africa and Asia, whose closest relatives are yet to be determined. These include (not exhaustively) species in the genera Alectroenas, Streptopelia, Coracopsis, Centropus, Otus, Caprimulgus, Mirafra, Coradna, Monticola, Nesillas, Randia, Cisticola, Terpsiphone, Nectarinia, Zosterops, Lonchura, and Dicrurus. With the recent explosion of interest in Madagascar, we are aware of ongoing studies addressing phylogenies of many of these taxa, and as these studies are finished, we expect a more complete picture to emerge.