Oligocene divergence of frogmouth birds (Podargidae) across Wallace's Line.

Abstract

Wallace's Line demarcates the transition between the differentiated regional faunas of Asia and Australia. However, while patterns of biotic differentiation across these two continental landmasses and the intervening island groups (Wallacea) have been extensively studied, patterns of long-term dispersal and diversification across this region are less well understood. Frogmouths (Aves: Podargidae) are a relictual family of large nocturnal birds represented by three extant genera occurring, respectively, in Asia, 'Sahul' (Australia and New Guinea) and the Solomon Islands, thus spanning Wallace's Line. We used new mitochondrial genomes from each of the extant frogmouth genera to estimate the ti..