Taxonomy, phylogenetic and biogeographical relationships of African grassland Francolins (Genus: Scleroptila)
Master Thesis
2003
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University of Cape Town
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Abstract
The potential for using a combination of molecular and whole-organismal data has opened up new avenues for avian taxonomy, phylogenetics and biogeography. Such a multifaceted approach is used here to identify diagnosable taxa within the Orange River Francolin Scleroptila levaillanloides species complex and resolve evolutionary relationships between these taxa and other mono-and polytypic forms within the Red-winged Group of francolins (= genus Scleroplila sensli lalo). Mitochondrial cytochrome-b DNA sequence data (±250 b.p.) from 50 individuals and 19 morphological characters extracted from reports in published literature were employed to achieve these aims. These characters were analysed separately and also in combination using maximum parsimony (DNA sequences and organismal data), maximum likelihood (DNA sequences) and distance (DNA sequences) analyses. Monophyly of the Red-winged Group plus the Ring-necked Francolin Dendroperdix slreptophorus was supported by all the analyses (bootstrap support ranged from 50%-94%) except distance analysis. The Orange River Francolin complex was found to be non-monophyletic. Two distinct clades were identified, one comprising taxa from southwestern and the other from northeastern Africa. Morphological analysis yielded a distinct clade of the southwestern Orange River Francolin. The other polytypic species and assemblages thereof show poor resolution. The results of this study clearly demonstrate a need for further assessment of the taxonomic status of Scleroptila spp. and their phylogenetic relationships.
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Bibliography: leaves 23-28.
Reference:
Mandiwana, T. 2003. Taxonomy, phylogenetic and biogeographical relationships of African grassland Francolins (Genus: Scleroptila). University of Cape Town.