Relationships Among the Birds-of-Paradise (Paradisaeidae) and Bowerbirds (Ptilonorhynchidae) - Protein Evidence

Abstract

Allozyme differentiation was assessed among nine species of paradisaeine birds-of-paradise and nine species of bowerbirds. In all, 26 enzyme systems representing 38 presumptive loci were screened. Both distance and qualitative cladistic analyses were performed. Genetic distances between the birds-of-paradise and the bowerbirds suggest that the two are closely related. Within the birds-of-paradise, genetic differentiation was low but three lineages were recognisable: (1) the manucodes (Manucodia), (2) the riflebirds (Ptiloris) and (3) the remaining paradisaeine genera screened. The data are in accordance with current views on the biogeography of the Australo-Papuan rainforest avifauna. Genetic distances were higher in the bowerbirds than in the birds-of-paradise. The polygynous avenue-builders (Ptilonorhynchus, Sericulus and Chlamydera) could be separated from the monogamous catbirds (Ailuroedus). The position of the polygynous maypole-builder Amblyornis could not be resolved conclusively; it either represents a third lineage or is linked with the catbirds.