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 aricomae

Cinclodes excelsior

Cinclodes atacamensis

Cinclodes palliatus

Cinclodes patagonicus

Cinclodes nigrofumosus

Cinclodes taczanowskii

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

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