| Institution: | 1. Department of Ecology and Genetics, Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18D, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden;2. Department of Integrative Biology and MSU Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48864 USA
Bird Group, The Natural History Museum at Tring, The Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, HP23 6AP UK;3. Department of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 50007, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden;4. Researchers for Wildlife Conservation, F-21, National Centre for Biological Sciences, GKVK, Bellary Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560065 India;5. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Rama 6 Road, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand;6. Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101 China;7. High-Altitude Experimental Station, Endemic Species Research Institute, COA, Chi-chi, Taiwan, China;8. Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Cao Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam;9. Systematics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 463, Gothenburg, SE-405 30 Sweden |
| Abstract: | We re-evaluated the taxonomy of the Striated Prinia Prinia crinigera–Brown Prinia P. polychroa complex using molecular, morphological and vocal analyses. The extensive seasonal, sexual, age-related, geographical and taxon-specific variation in this complex has never before been adequately studied. As no previous genetic or vocal analyses have focused on this group, misinterpretation of taxonomic signals from limited conventional morphological study alone was likely. Using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, we found that P. crinigera sensu lato (s.l.) comprises two non-sister groups of taxa (Himalayan crinigera and Chinese striata groups) that differ substantially morphologically and vocally and that are broadly sympatric in Yunnan Province, China. Prinia polychroa cooki (Myanmar) and P. p. rocki (southern Vietnam) are each morphologically, vocally and genetically distinct. Thai, Cambodian and Laotian populations formerly ascribed to P. p. cooki are morphologically and vocally most similar to and most closely related to Javan P. p. polychroa, and require a new name, proposed here. Prinia p. bangsi of Yunnan is part of the crinigera group rather than of P. polychroa, and hence there is no evidence for sympatry between P. polychroa s.l. and P. crinigera s.l., nor of the occurrence of P. polychroa in mainland China or Taiwan. We recommend the recognition of five species in the complex, with the following suggestions for new English names: Himalayan Prinia P. crinigera sensu stricto (s.s.; with subspecies striatula, crinigera, yunnanensis and bangsi); Chinese Prinia P. striata (subspecies catharia, parumstriata and striata); Burmese Prinia P. cooki (monotypic); Annam Prinia P. rocki (monotypic) and Deignan's Prinia P. polychroa s.s. (subspecies Javan polychroa and the new Southeast Asian taxon). This study underlines the importance of using multiple datasets for the elucidation of diversity of cryptic bird species and their evolutionary history and biogeography. |
