An introductory ecological biogeography of the australo-pacific meliphagidae

Abstract

The Meliphagidae, that can readily be defined on tongue characteristics, are a monophy- letic group centred in the Australo-Pacific region, but with one African genus (Promerops). The classification of Salomonsen (1967) allows 38 genera and 170 species in the former region, and one genus with two species in the latter. Australia and New Guinea jointly have 23 genera and 108 species, and constitute the centre of diversity of the group. Endemic genera are concentrated in Australia and New Guinea, and around the periphery of the Pacific part of the range (Sulawesi, Bonins, Marianas, Hawaii, New Zealand). The meliphagids are diversified in body size and bill form. They are basically nectarivores and insectivores, with most species combining the two roles to varying degrees. There is a good general correlation between bill form and way of life. A few species feed on trunks and aerial flycatching is well developed in many. Morphological modification is only minor in these instances and the meliphagids as a group remain rather generalised in bodily proportions. A long period of coevolution with Australian plant elements is shown by meliphagids being the major pollinators of several tree and shrub generaThe group combines monotypic genera with restricted ranges and wide-ranging genera with many species. Of the latter; Myzomela, Lichema, and Philemon are centred in the tropics, and Meli- phaga and Phylidonyris in Australia. Most of these co-occur over a wide area, this being favoured by differences in body size and bill morphology.Comparison of three kinds of meliphagid communities, two typical continental ones, two of isolated forest outlyers in Australia, and six insular Pacific ones, shows the first to be rich (10 and 11 genera, 21 and 17 species), and the second impoverished (6 and 7 genera, 9 and 12 species). Individual Pacific island groups, however, have only 25 genera, and 3-6 species. Genus to species ratios. © 1985 Crown copyright.