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Frederick H. Sheldona, , , Linda A. Whittinghamb, Robert G. Moylec, Beth Slikasd and David W. Winklere
aMuseum of Natural Science, 119 Foster Hall, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70803, USA
bDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53201, USA
cDepartment of Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY 10024, USA
dNational Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia 20008, USA
eCornell University Museum of Vertebrates, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
Received 19 June 2004; revised 12 October 2004. Available online 20 January 2005.
Abstract
The phylogeny of swallows was reconstructed by comparing segments of three genes, nuclear β-fibrinogen intron 7 (βfib7), mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb), and mitochondrial ND2, in a variety of combinations using maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods. βfib7 was sequenced for 47 species, cytb for 74 species, and ND2 for 61 species to yield comparisons among 75 of the 84 currently recognized swallow species. The family Hirundinidae was confirmed to consist of two clades, Pseudochelidoninae (river martins) and Hirundininae (typical swallows). The Hirundininae is further divided into mud nesters (Hirundo sensu lato), core martins (Phedina, Riparia, and New World endemic genera), and basal relicts (Psalidoprocne, Cheramoeca, and Pseudhirundo). We did not resolve the hierarchy among these three hirundinine groups, but discovered many relationships within them. Mud-nesting genera have the following relationships: (Hirundo sensu stricto, Ptyonoprogne), (Delichon, (Petrochelidon, Cecropis)). Core martins have the following topology: (Phedina, Riparia cincta), (Riparia sensu stricto, Tachycineta, ((Stelgidopteryx, Progne), (Neotropical endemic genera))). Interspecific relationships among the Neotropical endemics were resolved completely; Atticora and Notiochelidon are paraphyletic, and all Neotropical endemics probably should be lumped into one or two genera. The final group of hirundinines, the basal relicts, consists of a sister pair, the Australian Cheramoeca and African Pseudhirundo. The African saw-wings (Psalidoprocne) are their likely sister group.
