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Abstract
In this paper we provide a molecular phylogeny based on three mitochondrial and three
nuclear markers for all long-tailed tit species of the genus Aegithalos including
several doubtful subspecies (17 taxa) plus three close allies of SE Asian Leptopoecile
and North American Psaltriparus. Genus Aegithalos is divided into three major clades,
two of them showing only minor differentiation. Separation of two mitchondrial haploytpe
clusters in the N Palearctic Long-tailed Tit, Ae. caudatus, was dated back to the
Late Pleistocene, however, descendants from both lineages underwent a rapid post-Pleistocene
range expansion and largely mixed over the entire distribution area. The Chinese populations
of the glaucogularis subspecies group represent a slightly earlier Pleistocene split
from the Ae. caudatus clade. Genetic differentiation among several doubtful SE Asian
species taxa on the sister clade of the latter N Palearctic/Chinese clade matches
the intraspecific differentiation within Ae. caudatus. Unexpectedly, cytochrome-b
distances among Himalayan Ae. iouschistos (including the subspecies bonvaloti from
China and sharpei from Myanmar) and the Chinese endemic Ae. fuliginosus range at approximately
0.5% and apparently all these extant populations separated only very recently during
late Pleistocene times, too. W Himalayan Ae. niveogularis clearly appeared as the
sister species of the latter taxon assemblage. Unlike the two latter major clades,
Ae. concinnus shows strong intraspecific differentiation with cyt-b distances as high
as 6% among two Himalayan populations of ssp. iredalei, ssp. manipurensis from Myanmar
and a fourth lineage from SW and SC China including ssp. talifuensis and nominate
concinnus. A sister-group relationship between all Ae. concinnus and Ae. leucogenys
was strongly supported. N American bushtits of genus Psaltriparus represent the sister
clade to Palearctic genus Aegithalos, including a clear split between the minimus
and the plumbeus subspecies group which was again dated back to Pleistocene times.
The two tit-warbler species of genus Leptopoecile are strongly differentiated from
one another and represent an early split from the Aegithalidae tree.
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