Phylogeny of the avian family Corvidae.
Item
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Title
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Phylogeny of the avian family Corvidae.
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Identifier
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AAI9000033
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identifier
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9000033
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Creator
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Hope, Sylvia.
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Contributor
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Adviser: Wesley E. Lanyon
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Date
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1989
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Language
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English
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Publisher
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City University of New York.
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Subject
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Biology, Zoology
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Abstract
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Phylogeny of Corvidae is reconstructed here from osteology. Treepies, Dendrocitta and Crypsirina, the piapiac, Ptilostomus, and Southeast Asian magpies, Cissa and Urocissa, appear to be paraphyletic early lineages of Corvidae, with the remaining corvids a monophyletic group. American jays appear to be sister taxon to the large assemblage of primarily holarctic corvids. Cyanolyca appears to be sister taxon to other American jays. It retains many primitive corvid characters, in accord with other evidence for long isolation of the American jays. North American jays Aphelocoma, Cyanocitta, and Gymnorhinus are a monophyletic group, with Gymnorhinus probably sister taxon to Aphelocoma ultramarina. The holarctic corvids include northern magpies, Pica and Cyanopica; Eurasian and boreal jays, Garrulus and Perisoreus; and the crow-like birds, including crows, nutcrackers, ground jays, and choughs, Corvus, Nucifraga, Podoces, and Pyrrhocorax. Garrulus and Perisoreus are similar but possibly not monophyletic. Pica retains many primitive corvid characters but its skeleton is also crow-like. The crow-like birds are a monophyletic assemblage within which Pica may also be included but its relationship to that group is not fully clarified. Podoces and Pyrrhocorax appear to be sister taxa. Phylogeny and geography suggest Corvidae originated in the western Malaysian region. Early corvids probably were sedentary woodland birds. The northern radiations entail several different adaptive radiations. Specialization on acorn crops involves different mechanisms for opening nuts in Eurasian and American jays. Pica and crow-like birds have moved into less forested environments and concommitantly are more mobile than primitive corvids. Among American jays migratory Cyanocitta and nomadic Gymnorhinus are also exceptionally mobile. Platylophus appears to be a member of the sister group of the Corvidae. Pseudopodoces is a distantly related oscine.
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Type
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dissertation
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Source
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PQT Legacy CUNY.xlsx
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degree
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Ph.D.
