Xenicus is a genus of birds in the family Acanthisittidae. It contains New Zealand wrens.
| Xenicus | |
|---|---|
| |
| A South Island wren. | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Acanthisittidae |
| Genus: | Xenicus G.R. Gray, 1855 |
| Type species | |
| Motacilla longipes[1] Gmelin, 1789
| |
| Synonyms | |
|
Pachyplichas (Millener, 1988) | |
Species
edit- New Zealand rock wren, Xenicus gilviventris
- Bushwren, †Xenicus longipes (extinct)
- South Island stout-legged wren, †Xenicus yaldwyni (extinct) – South Island, New Zealand
- North Island stout-legged wren, †Xenicus jagmi (extinct) – North Island, New Zealand
Lyall's wren was classified as Xenicus lyalli but is quite divergent, so it is placed in its own genus, Traversia.
Taxonomy
editThe stout-legged wrens formed a species pair. They had reduced wings and robust legs indicating that they were adapted to a terrestrial existence and were either flightless or nearly so.[2] Genetic evidence has indicated that the former genus Pachyplichas is nested within Xenicus, and stout-legged wrens must have evolved from a gracile-legged ancestor. A cladogram is given below.[3]
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References
edit
Wikispecies has information related to Xenicus.
- ^ "Acanthisittidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-24.
- ^ Millener (1988).
- ^ Mitchell, Kieren J.; Wood, Jamie R.; Llamas, Bastien; McLenachan, Patricia A.; Kardailsky, Olga; Scofield, R. Paul; Worthy, Trevor H.; Cooper, Alan (September 2016). "Ancient mitochondrial genomes clarify the evolutionary history of New Zealand's enigmatic acanthisittid wrens". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 102: 295–304. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2016.05.038. PMID 27261250.
- Catalogue of the genera and subgenera of birds contained in the British museum. p. 31
- North Island Rifleman (Titipounamu)(above two birds) / South Island Bush Wren (Matuhi) (left centre) / Rock Wren (centre right) / Stephens Island Wren by George Edward Lodge. Collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
Further reading
edit- Millener, P.R. (1988). "Contributions to New Zealand's Late Quaternary avifauna. 1: Pachyplichas, a new genus of wren (Aves: Acanthisittidae), with two new species". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 18 (4): 383–406. Bibcode:1988JRSNZ..18..383M. doi:10.1080/03036758.1988.10426464.
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