A re-evaluation of basal phylogenetic relationships within trogons (Aves: Trogonidae) based on nuclear DNA sequences

The avian clade Trogonidae (trogons) consists of approximately 40 species distributed pantropically in the Neotropical, Afrotropical and Indomalayan zoogeographical regions. In this study, we evaluate the basal phylogenetic relationships within the trogons based on DNA sequences from three nuclear introns [myoglobin intron 2, β -fibrinogen intron 7 and glyceraldehydes-3-phosphodehydrogenase (G3PDH) intron 11]. In addition, previously published cytochrome b and 12S sequences were re-analysed and combined with the nuclear data set. The analysis of the three nuclear genes combined suggests a sister group relationship between the Afrotropical ( Apaloderma ) and Indomalayan ( Harpactes ) clades, whereas the Neotropical taxa ( Trogon , Pharomachrus , and Priotelus ) form an unresolved polytomy basal to these two groups. In addition, two of the three individual gene trees also support a sister group relationship between the Afrotropical and Indomalayan trogons. This is at odds with previously published studies based on mitochondrial sequence data and DNA–DNA hybridization. The third nuclear intron (G3PDH), however, suggests that the Afrotropical trogons are basal relative the other trogons. This was also suggested by the mitochondrial data set, as well as the analysis of the combined nuclear and mitochondrial data. Both of these conflicting hypotheses are supported by high posterior probabilities. An insertion in β -fibrinogen further supports a basal position of the Afrotropical clade. Analyses of the myoglobin intron with additional outgroups place the root differently and strongly support monophyly of each of the zoogeographical regions (including the Neotropics), and these three clades form a basal trichotomy. This suggests that that rooting is a serious problem in resolving basal phylogenetic relationships among the trogons.