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Thamnophilidae

Typical Antbirds

John Harshman
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taxon links [up-->]Hypoedaleus guttatus [up-->]Drymophila [up-->]Frederickena [up-->]Biatas nigropectus [up-->]Sakesphorus [up-->]Batara cinerea [up-->]Pygiptila stellaris [up-->]Myrmeciza part 3 [up-->]Xenornis setifrons [up-->]Dysithamnus [up-->]Taraba major [up-->]Dichrozona cincta [up-->]Microrhopias quixensis [up-->]Herpsilochmus [up-->]Mackenziaena [up-->]Stymphalornis acutirostris [up-->]Myrmornis torquata [up-->]Thamnomanes [up-->]Myrmorchilus strigilatus [up-->]Pyriglena [up-->]Thamnophilus [up-->]Cymbilaimus [up-->]Phlegopsis [up-->]Myrmeciza part 4 [up-->]Cercomacra [up-->]Myrmotherula [up-->]Terenura [up-->]Myrmoborus [up-->]Schistocichla [up-->]Formicivora [up-->]Phaenostictus mcleannani [up-->]Rhegmatorhina [up-->]Hypocnemoides [up-->]Myrmeciza part 5 [up-->]Myrmeciza [up-->]Sakesphorus luctuosus [up-->]Gymnopithys [up-->]Myrmotherula part 2 [up-->]Pithys [up-->]Myrmeciza part 2 [up-->]Myrmeciza part 6 [up-->]Sclateria naevia [up-->]Percnostola [up-->]Clytoctantes [up-->]Hylophylax [up-->]Hylophylax poecilinotus [up-->]Rhopornis ardesiacus [up-->]Hypocnemis [up-->]Thamnistes anabatinus Monophyly UncertainMonophyly UncertainMonophyly UncertainPhylogenetic position of group is uncertainPhylogenetic position of group is uncertainPhylogenetic position of group is uncertainPhylogenetic position of group is uncertainPhylogenetic position of group is uncertainPhylogenetic position of group is uncertainPhylogenetic position of group is uncertainPhylogenetic position of group is uncertain and monophyly of group is uncertainPhylogenetic position of group is uncertain and monophyly of group is uncertain[down<--]Furnarii Interpreting the tree
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Relationships after Irestedt et al. (2004) and Brumfield et al. (2007).  The placement of Dichrozona cincta is uncertain because of incongruent signals from different genes and the potential of long-branch artefacts in the combined analysis. Other taxa shown as incertae sedis were not included in either analysis.

Containing group: Furnarii

Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships

In contrast to many other suboscine families, Thamnophilidae appears to be monophyletic. However, this cannot be said for many of the genera within it. A good rule of thumb is that the more species a genus has, the more likely it is to be found not to be monophyletic. The first and third largest genera in this family, Myrmotherula and Myrmeciza are both highly polyphyletic, being divided into at least 2 and 7(!) separate pieces, respectively. The second largest genus, Thamnophilus, still has not had enough species sampled for a proper test of monophyly. Other polyphyletic genera on this tree include Sakesphorus and Percnostola, and other genera may prove not to be monophyletic with further sampling. The genus name always goes with the type species, and other parts of the polyphyletic genera will need other names eventually. Myrmeciza may in fact end up containing the type species and no other.

References

Bates JM, Hackett SJ, Goerck JM. 1999. High levels of mitochondrial DNA differentiation in two lineages of antbirds Drymophila and Hypocnemis. Auk 116:1093-1106.

Brumfield, R. T., J. G. Tello, Z. A. Cheviron, M. D. Carling, N. Crochet, and K. V. Rosenberg. 2007. Phylogenetic conservatism and antiquity of a tropical specialization: Army-ant-following in the typical antbirds (Thamnophilidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 45(1):1-13.

Gill, F. and M. Wright. 2006. Birds of the World: Recommended English Names. Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press.

Hackett, S. J. and K. V. Rosenberg. 1990. Comparison of phenotypic and genetic differentiation in South American antwrens (Formicariidae). Auk 107:473-489.

Irestedt, M., J. Fjelds?, J. A. A. Nylander, and P. G. P. Ericson. 2004. Phylogenetic relationships of typical antbirds (Thamnophilidae) and test of incongruence based on Bayes factors. BMC Evolutionary Biology 4:23.

Isler, M. L., P. R. Isler, and B. M. Whitney. 1998. Use of vocalizations to establish species limits in antbirds (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae). Auk 115:577-590.

Isler, M. L., P. R. Isler, and B. M. Whitney. 1999. Species limits in antbirds (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae): The Myrmotherula complex.

Auk 116:83-96.

Isler, P. R. and B. M. Whitney. 2002. Songs of the Antbirds. Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds, Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. Ithaca, NY.

Ridgely, R. S. and G. Tudor. 1994. The Birds of South America. Volume 2. The Suboscine Passerines. University of Texas, Austin.

Skutch, A. F. 1996. Antbirds and Ovenbirds. University of Texas Press, Austin, TX.

Zimmer, K.J. and K.J. Isler. 2003. Family Thamnophilidae (typical antibirds). Pages 448?651in Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 8. Broadbills to Tapaculos. J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and D. A. Christie, eds. BirdLife International and Lynx Editions, Cambridge, UK and Barcelona.

Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name Thamnophilus ambiguus
Location Brazil
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Source Choca-de-sooretama
Source Collection Flickr
ToL Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License - Version 2.0.
Copyright © 2006 Antonio CBC Lopes
Scientific Name Cymbilaimus lineatus
Location Panama
Specimen Condition Live Specimen
Source Fasciated Antshrike Wing
Source Collection Flickr
ToL Image Use creative commons This media file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike License - Version 2.0.
Copyright © 2006 joule_e
About This Page


Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to John Harshman at

All Rights Reserved.

Citing this page:

Harshman, John. 2007. Thamnophilidae. Typical Antbirds. Version 05 December 2007 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Thamnophilidae/67983/2007.12.05 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/

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