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PS 21 1 Feb 09.Qxd AllThe in Parrot the Family Family Tree The deep roots of the parrot family tree have long been a mysterious affair. With their stocky bodies, fleshy ceres, strongly curved bills and zygodactyl feet (two toes forward and two back) the parrots (Order Psittaciformes) are easily distinguished from all other orders of birds. However, the physical similarities shared across the parrots has made it difficult for taxonomists to agree on the ordering of relationships among different genera and species. In some cases it has been difficult to decide whether different populations of a species represent distinct species or may simply be the result of the variation within a single species. The identification of such cryptic species is vital for effective conservation. If genetic evidence shows that a small sub-population of a widespread species is actually a distinct species, then saving this rare new species becomes a conservation priority. Such a discovery might also suggest modifications of avicultural practices by zoos and private breeders. In addition to these practical issues, resolving the evolutionary history of a group is valuable for biologists who want to better understand the evolution of the very traits that make the parrots so interesting, such as their long lifespans, colourful plumage, keen intelligence and striking vocal abilities. by Timothy F. Wright and Erin E. Schirtzinger, Biology Department, New Mexico State University Photo Credits: Crimson Rosella © Aaardvaark/Flickr.com, Mitred Conure © Mike Bowles, Rainbow Lorikeet © Steve Milpacher, Hyacinth Macaw © Shutterstock, Black-masked Lovebirds © Steve Martin, Eclectus © Shutterstock, Green-cheeked Amazon © Mike Bowles, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo © Shutterstock, African Grey © Shutterstock, Kea © Ron Hoff May 2009 PsittaScene 9 o shed light on the mysterious relationships within parrots, we have worked for the last several years to create an Tevolutionary family tree of parrots (a phylogeny) using genetic data collected with modern molecular techniques. Agapornis roseicollis, Peach-faced Lovebird In order to obtain a broad sample of Loriculus galgulus, Blue-crowned Hanging parrot Bolbopsittacus lunulatus, Guaiabero parrot species, we collaborated with an Neophema elegans, Elegant Parrot Neopsephotus bourkii, Bourke’s Parrot international team of scientists and Barnardius zonarius, Port Lincoln Parrot Platycercus adscitus, Pale-headed Rosella veterinarians (see Special thanks below). Psephotus varius, Mulga Parrot The legal complexities of transporting Purpureicephalus spurius, Red-capped Parrot Northiella haematogaster, Bluebonnet parrot samples (generally preserved Cyanoramphus auriceps, Uellow-fronted Parakeet Eunymphicus uvaeensis, Ouvéa Parakeet blood or frozen tissue) meant that in the Prosopeia tabuensis, Red Shining Parrot Chalcopsitta duivenbodei, Brown Lory end, one of us, (Erin) actually travelled Eos reticulata, Blue-streaked Lory to each of these foreign countries in Trichoglossus haematodus, Rainbow Lorikeet Pseudoeos fuscata, Dusky Lory order to perform the lab work necessary Glossopsitta porphyrocephala, Purple-crowned Lorikeet Lorius albidinucha, White-naped Lory to collect the genetic data. Neopsittacus musschenbroekii, Musschenbroek’s Lorikeet Charmosyna papou, Papuan Lorikeet Phigys solitarius, Collared Lorikeet Vini australis, Blue-crowned Lorikeet Our globe-trotting efforts resulted in a Melopsittacus undulatus, Budgerigar large family tree (Figure 1) which Cyclopsitta diophthalma, Double-eyed Fig Parrot Psittaculirostris edwardsii, Edwards’s Fig Parrot includes representative species of 69 of Alisterus amboinensis, Moluccan King Parrot Aprosmictus erythropterus, Red-winged Parrot the 82 recognized genera. Polytelis alexandrae, Princess Parrot Eclectus roratus, Eclectus Parrot Geoffroyus heteroclitus, Singing Parrot Interpreting phylogenetic trees can be Psittacula columboides, Malabar Parakeet Tanygnathus lucionensis, Blue-naped Parrot confusing to the uninitiated, so here we Prioniturus luconensis, Breen Racquet-tailed parrot Micropsitta finschii, Finch’s Pygmy Parrot answer some basic questions about the Amazona viridigenalis, Green-cheeked Amazon Pionus menstruus, Blue-headed Parrot phylogeny and some of the evolutionary Hapalopsittaca amazonina, Rusty-faced Parrot patterns it shows. Pionopsitta caica, Caica Parrot Forpus passerinus, Green-rumped Parrotlet Brotogeris jugularis, Orange-chinned Parakeet Myiopsitta monachus, Monk Parakeet Nannopsittaca panychlora, Tepui Parrotlet Touit batavica, Lilac-tailed Parrotlet Aratinga pertinax, Brown-throated Conure Ara macao, Scarlet Macaw Orthopsittaca manilata, Red-bellied Macaw Cyanopsitta spixii, Spix’s Macaw Diopsittaca nobilis, Red-shouldered Macaw Guaruba guarouba, Golden Conure Leptosittaca branickii, Golden-plumed Conure Cyanoliseus patagonus, Patagonian Conure Deroptyus accipitrinus, Hawk-headed Parrot Pionites melanocephala, Black-capped Parrot Pyrrhura picta, Painted Conure Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha, Thick-billed Parrot Enicognathus leptorhynchus, Slender-billed Conure Nandayus nenday, Nanday Conure Poicephalus robustus, Brown-necked Parrot Psittacus erithacus, Grey Parrot Psittrichas fulgidus, Pesquet’s Parrot Coracopsis vasa, Vasa Parrot Cacatua sulphurea, Yellow-crested Cockatoo Eolophus roseicapilla, Galah Probosciger aterrimus, Palm Cockatoo Nymphicus hollandicus, Cockatiel Calyptorhynchus funereus, Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoo Nestor notabilis, Kea Strigops habroptilus, Kakapo Falco peregrinus, Peregrine Falcon Serinus canarius, Canary Colius colius, White-backed Mousebird Picus canus, Grey-headed Woodpecker Columbina passerina, Common Ground Dove Otus sunia, Oriental Scops-owl Tockus flavirostris, Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill Figure 1. A phylogeny of the parrots Coccyzus americanus, Yellow-billed Cuckoo constructed using genetic data. Colours denote 50 changes groups of parrot species discussed in the text Questions? If you have further questions For more information consult our more Special thanks to the Smithsonian about the parrot family tree, please send them detailed paper published in the journal Molecular Institution, the Universidade de São Paulo in to Joanna Eckles, PsittaScene Editor, at Biology and Evolution (Wright et al 2008, 25(10) Brazil, Victoria University at Wellington in New [email protected]. We look forward 2141-2156), a version of which is posted at our Zealand, Loro Parque and the National Institute to answering them in a future issue. website http://biology-web.nmsu.edu/twright/. of Toxicology and Forensic Science in the Canary Islands, Spain. 10 PsittaScene May 2009 How do you read a phylogeny? Furthermore, other recently published Why do some of these groups Phylogenies can be thought of as a family phylogenies that have sampled more widely seem jumbled up? 1 tree with descendants branching outward across avian orders have also found 7 There are some distinct surprises in from a single ancestral species. The tips of the contradictory results regarding who the closest the parrot family tree. One is that the tree (on the right in Figure 1) are the species that relatives of parrots might be. This continuing Budgerigar is not closely related to the )are currently in existence. The places where two confusion suggests that parrots are indeed a very rosellas,) bluebonnets and other Platycercine branches join are called nodes, which represent ancient order of birds that split from the parrots of Australia. Instead it is a member the last common ancestor of those two living ancestors of other modern birds a very long of a clade that includes the lorikeets and Fig species. For example, at the top of the time ago, perhaps as long as 80-90 million years Parrots (teal clade). Also, the African parrots phylogeny, the place where the branches leading ago during the Cretaceous Period. The identity do not form a single clade; instead the from the Peach-faced Lovebird (Agapornis of their closest relative remains a mystery African Grey and parrots of the genus roseicollis) and the Blue-crowned Hanging Parrot, awaiting further investigation. Poicephalus are closely related to each other, (Loriculus galgulus), meet is the node and while the Vasa Parrot of Madagascar represents the last common ancestor of those Who are the most ancient parrots? diverged earlier in the tree and the lovebirds two species. All the branches coming out of a If you work your way along the tree of the genus Agapornis are in an entirely node towards the tips on the right side of the 4 from the basal node connecting the different clade that also includes the tree are the descendents of that ancestor, and parrots to the non-parrots, you will see that Hanging Parrots of Indonesia (genus the species at the ends of these branches are the first parrot group to split off from the Loriculus) and the odd Guaiabero found only thus more closely related to each other than to )common ancestor of parrots is a group (or in the Philippines (top clade in magenta). those coming from a different node. The length 'clade') of New Zealand parrots that includes This pattern suggests that Africa may have of the branches separating a tip from a node, or the Kea and the Kakapo (red clade in Figure 1). been colonized by several different lineages two nodes from each other, represents the This split indicates they are the group that is of parrots at different times. amount of evolution between those nodes. In most-distantly related to the remainder of the our case the length of the branches represents parrots and has
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