Proposal (414) to South American Classification Committee

Change linear sequence of species in Cinclodes

Effect on South American CL: This proposal would alter the current linear sequence of species in Cinclodes based on phylogenetic information.

Background: The current linear sequence for the genus is congruent with Vaurie’s (1980) classification, as follows:

Cinclodes excelsior

Cinclodes aricomae

Cinclodes fuscus

Cinclodes comechingonus

Cinclodes pabsti

Cinclodes olrogi

Cinclodes oustaleti

Cinclodes patagonicus

Cinclodes taczanowskii

Cinclodes nigrofumosus

Cinclodes antarcticus

Cinclodes atacamensis

Cinclodes palliatus

New data and analysis: Chesser’s (2004) and Sanín et al. (2009) phylogenetic analyses using mtDNA data suggested that some of the phenotypic characteristics traditionally used to group species in the genus (such as marine specialization or plumage similarity) probably evolved multiple times, and thus, do not reflect phylogeny. Most of the nodes in the phylogeny are well supported.

According to Chesser (2004) and Sanin et al. (2009) The 12 species with distribution in the Andes and Patagonia formed a monophyletic group sister to Cinclodes pabsti (distributed in southeastern Brazil). This group is in turn divided in to clades: the first one composed by C. antarcticus, C. fuscus, C. comechingonus, C. olrogi, and C. oustaleti. Within this group, C. antarcticus and C. fuscus form a clade sister to the rest of the species where C. comechingonus is sister to C. olrogi and C. oustaleti.

The other seven species are part of the second group. C. aricomae and C. excelsior formed a weakly supported clade sister to the remaining species. C. atacamensis and C. palliatus are sister to a clade formed by C. patagonicus, and C. nigrofumosus and C. taczanowskii (which are sister species).

Recommendation: I recommend changing the current sequence for the following, which integrates the phylogeny proposed by Chesser (2004):

Cinclodes pabsti

Cinclodes antarcticus

Cinclodes fuscus

Cinclodes comechingonus

Cinclodes olrogi

Cinclodes oustaleti

Cinclodes excelsior

Cinclodes aricomae

Cinclodes atacamensis

Cinclodes palliatus

Cinclodes patagonicus

Cinclodes taczanowskii

Cinclodes nigrofumosus

Literature cited:

Chesser, R.T., 2004. Systematics, evolution and biogeography of the South American ovenbird genus Cinclodes. Auk 121, 752–766

Sanín, C., Cadena C.D., Maley, J.M., Lijtmaer, D.A., Tubaro P.L., Chesser, R.T., 2009. Paraphyly of Cinclodes fuscus (Aves: Passeriformes: Furnariidae): Implications for taxonomy and biogeography. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 53: 547–555. PDF available on http://evolvert.uniandes.edu.co/EVOLVERT/Publicaciones.html

Vaurie, C., 1980. Taxonomy and Geographical Distribution of the Furnariidae (Aves, Passeriformes). American Museum of Natural History, New York.

Camilo Sanín, August 2009

Note from Remsen: I reversed the linear sequence of two taxa from Sanín’s original proposal to conform to the conventional sequence of listing of allotaxa from N to S (i.e., excelsior before aricomae, taczanowskii before nigrofumosus).

Comments from Stiles: “YES. The phylogenetic data from two independent studies clearly mandate this change in the sequence of species.”

Comments from Zimmer: “YES. Two independent studies call for this change.”

Comments from Cadena: “YES. However, regarding comments by Gary and Kevin, I should note that the two studies are not independent - the study by Sanín et al. reanalyzed the data published by Chesser in combination with new sequences of "Cinclodes fuscus", so correspondence between the two papers was expected.”

Comments from Remsen: “YES. At least a new linear sequence represents an explicit hypothesis that can be tested by additional data.”

Comments from Pacheco: “YES. Sou de opinião que a sequência proposta é bem suportada pelos trabalhos mencionados.”

Comments from Jaramillo: “YES. It is interesting to finally have some data that clarifies for me that plumage is not all that important in these birds. It never made much sense to me that oustaleti and patagonicus were treated as sisters or at least closely related. The two look alike outwardly, but vocally and in other aspects of their ecology they are quite unlike each other. The only surprise for me in this new organization is that antarcticus falls close to fuscus. It is also unfortunate that they did not have samples of the Juan Fernandez populations of oustaleti, or the Fuegian population of antarcticus.”

Comments from Nores: “Esta pregunta no la voy a contestar por el momento porque no entiendo de que manera ha utilizado Sanín sus resultados moleculares para hacer la secuencia, especialmente cuando incluye también a albidiventris y a albiventris. Me parece que la ha hecho de una manera arbitraria aunque no puedo juzgar si es así o no. Sería bueno que explique el criterio que usó para elegir el orden de los clados.”