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Dryad

A phylogeny of white-eyes based on ultraconserved elements

Cite this dataset

Andersen, Michael; Oliveros, Carl; Moyle, Robert (2021). A phylogeny of white-eyes based on ultraconserved elements [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.g4f4qrfqg

Abstract

White-eyes are an iconic radiation of passerine birds that have been the subject of studies in evolutionary biology, biogeography, and speciation theory. Zosterops white-eyes in particular are thought to have radiated rapidly across continental and insular regions of the Afro- and Indo-Pacific tropics, yet, their phylogenetic history remains equivocal. Here, we sampled 77% of the genera and 47% of known white-eye species and sequenced thousands of ultraconserved elements to infer the phylogeny of the avian family Zosteropidae. We used concatenated maximum likelihood and species tree methods and found strong support for seven clades of white-eyes and three clades within the species-rich Zosterops radiation.

Methods

Target-capture of ultraconserved elements, following Faircloth et al. 2012 Syst Biol 61, 717

Funding

National Science Foundation, Award: 1557051

National Science Foundation, Award: 1146345

National Science Foundation, Award: 1557053