The phylogenetic relationships of the endemic genera of Australo-Papuan hawks

Abstract

Six genera of accipitrids (Erythrotriorchis, Hamirostra, Harpyopsis, Henicopernis, Lophoictinia, and Megatriorchis), composed of a total of eight species, are endemic to the Australo-Papuan region. Traditionally, these were assigned to four subfamilies in the Accipitridae; however, a recent hypothesis suggested they together comprise an endemic radiation of closely related genera and species. We investigated these alternatives using phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences of the slowly evolving nuclear RAG-1 exon. Bootstrapped maximum likelihood trees and a permutation likelihood ratio test provide robust evidence that these genera represent four clades placed in three divergent higher taxa of accipitrids: (1) Hamirostra, Henicopernis, and Lophoictinia comprise a monophyletic clade of pernine kites, (2) Harpyopsis is a harpy eagle, and (3) Erythrotriorchis and Megatriorchis represent two unrelated clades of accipiters. Parsimony and Bayesian analyses confirmed these results. The hypothesis that the six genera are monophyletic was firmly rejected. The data are consistent with a southeast Asian or Australo-Papuan origin for each of the four clades. These six genera each include only one or two species and are closely related to other monotypic taxa; an efficient classification would place most of these genera in synonymy. © The Raptor Research Foundation, Inc.