Phylogenetic relationships of tyrant-flycatchers (Aves : Tyrannidae), with an emphasis on the elaeniine assemblage

Abstract

The tyrant-flycatchers (Tyrannidae) are arguably the largest avian family in the Western Hemisphere with approximately 100 genera and 430 species. Although the composition of the family is largely settled, intergeneric relationships are poorly understood. Morphological and behavior-based classifications are in disagreement with DNA-DNA hybridization data, and both have recently been contradicted by DNA-sequence studies. However, previous DNA-sequence sampling has mostly focused on two out of the six traditional tribes. In this study, we have sampled mitochondrial and nuclear sequences of additional tyrannid genera from across the Tyrannidae, with particularly dense coverage of a third tribe ..