What are African monarchs (Aves, Passeriformes)? A phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial genes.

We address the phylogenetic relationships of ten passerine bird species representing the five presently supposed monarchine (family Monarchidae) genera (Terpsiphone, Hypothymis, Elminia, Trochocercus, Erythrocercus) from Asia and Africa, as well as three monarchs from Australasia, three representatives of the related genera Rhipidura and Dicrurus, and 20 representatives of 11 other oscine groups (including two Culicicapa flycatchers) and one sub-oscine, using two partial mitochondrial genes (cytochrome b and large sub-unit ribosomal 16S RNA). Molecular data corroborate ecological, ethological and morphological observations on the probable heterogeneity of Trochocercus and indicate that this genus is polyphyletic; two of its species are members of Monarchidae allied to Terpsiphone and Hypothymis; the others are more closely related to Elminia. Elminia is not a member of Monarchidae and is not related to any other sampled species, except Culicicapa. Erythrocercus is also outside the Monarchidae but inside a Sylvii-Pycnonotidae group. These results point once more to the need of a fully revised phylogeny of passerine birds.