Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis Of Some Passerines Based On Mitochondrial Co â…  And Cytb Gene Sequences

The birds of Passeriformes are the group which are the largest number and the broadest adaptive radiation of existent aves, their molecular phylogeny have been focused on for a long time. Former molecular phylogeny of the limited passerines had been studied by mitochondrial DNA. In this paper, by PCR amplification, direct sequencing or cloning and sequencing method, partion cytochrome oxidase subunitâ… gene (Coâ… )and complete cytochrome b gene (Cytb) sequences of our samples in Sichuan were analyzed. We analyzed the sequences composition and characteristic of the combined sequences, and builted phylogenetic trees. Furthermore, Passer montanus, Lanius isabellinus and Dendrocitta formosae were respectively selected as outgroup, we deeply analysed their phylogenetic relationship to defecate the mistiness questions about tradition classify in the Turdinae and Timaliinae, and discussed the station of their species. The results showed as follow:1)The combined sequences of the Cytb and Coâ… genes of 69 species from songbird (Aves:Passeriformes) resulted in an alignment of 2319 nucleotides. The variable sites were 1000,43.1% of all sites. The parsimony informative sites were 923,92.3% of the variable sites. The average composition of four bases T, C, A and G were 24.8%,32.2%,27.6%, 15.4%, respectively.2) This verified four superfamilies, i.e. Sylvioidea, Muscicapoidea and Pasesoridea within Passerida and Corvoidea within Passerida from Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy based on DNA hybridization studies, but The Sylvioidea was nonmonophyly among them. The Paridae was a individual group, the Remizidae was placed in the superfamily Sylvioidea, This study also found that Aegithalos concinnus was distantly related to the genera Parus in the Paridae birds, but closely related to the Sylviinae.Fringillids and Emberizids reached a familial level and should be listed into the families Fringillidae and Emberizidae, respectively.3)The Turdinae was nonmonophyly. In the phylogenetic trees, the species examined in the study were clustered into two clades. One clade included the genera Turdus and Zoothera. The other clade included the genera Phoenicurus, Enicurus, Tarsiger and Myiophonus. Turdus mupinensis was out of the genus Turdus, forming a single clade with Zoothera dauma, so its Taxonomic status was unusual.4) The Timaliinae was nonmonophyly too. The results indicated that it consisted of 2 lineages. And several species traditionally placed among the Timaliinae, two species from the genus Pteruthius, Pnoepyga albiventer and Alcippe dubia, were not related to the Timaliinae. Furthermore, the phylogenetic hypotheses inferred from molecular data suggested that the Timaliinae should include Zosterops japonicas. All topologies of the genera in this study were stable, and confirmed that the genera Garrulax and Alcippe were polyphyletic groups. The Paradoxornis was a genus of the Timaliinae. The genera Stachyris and Pomatorhinus were closely related. The combined data could not indicate the morphological difference of species from the genus Minla.5) Studies showed that the Coâ… gene was(suitable to identify the phylogenetic relationship of avian genus unit, and it can be used to identify avian species, but it was less stable and accurate than the combined sequences,so we suggested it should be analysed with other molecular makers.