The aptly named microcormorants (currently placed in the genus Microcarbo) form a morphologically diminutive and distinct clade sister to all other living cormorants and shags. However, the relationships within Microcarbo are largely speculative. Sequence data resolve these relationships unambiguously, with our phylogeny suggesting that the microcormorants separated from the other cormorants similar to 16 Mya and showing that the two African species [the reed (or long-tailed) cormorant, Microcarbo africanus, and the crowned cormorant, Microcarbo coronatus] are closely related sister taxa, forming a clade that diverged from the other microcormorants similar to 12 Mya. The deep split between the African microcormorants and the others is considerably older than many well-recognized generic splits within the cormorants (e.g. Leucocarbo and Phalacrocorax). Thus, we suggest that the African microcormorants warrant their own genus, and we erect Afrocarbo, with type species Pelecanus africanus. Within the reduced Microcarbo, we estimate that the little pied cormorant (Microcarbo melanoleucos of Australasia) separated from the sister pair of the Javanese and pygmy cormorants (respectively, Microcarbo niger from south/southeast Asia and Microcarbo pygmaeus from Europe) similar to 9 Mya and that the latter two species split similar to 2 Mya. Given the age of these splits, the microcormorants appear to represent another example of morphological conservatism in the Suliformes.
- 9926511591801891
- Phylogeny of the microcormorants, with the description of a new genus
- Martyn KennedyAlexander T. SalisSampath S. SeneviratneDilini RathnayakeLisa J. NupenPeter G. RyanStefano VolponiPascale LubbeNicolas J. RawlenceHamish G. Spencer
- Zoological journal of the Linnean Society, Vol.199(1), pp.310-317
- Zoology
- Oxford University Press
- University of Otago (New Zealand, Dunedin)Allan Wilson Centre (New Zealand, Palmerston North)
- 27/06/2023
- Copyright © The Author(s) 2023. This work was first published in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society (Oxford University Press). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided that the original work is properly attributed to the creator(s) and the source, a link to the Creative Commons license is provided, and any changes made are indicated.
- English
- Journal article