I was recently informed that Princess Parrot is to be given a new scientific name. Changed from Polytelis alexandrae to *Spathopterus alexandrae. *This of course would have it removed from being a close relative to Superb and Regent Parrots. Can anyone tell me a bit more about this please? Especially the decision to remove it from Polytelis. * * *Thanks very much!* * * *Don Kimball* http://polytelismedia.wordpress.com/ ===============================
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Don,
I think that someone has drawn this conclusion based on some recent papers having found _Polytelis _not to be monophyletic. John Boyd’s Taxonomy in Flux website says “There is some question about the monophyly of _Polytelis_, although Joseph et al. (2011) and Schweizer et al. (2010) have different takes on the nature of the problem.” The two cited papers are:
Joseph, L., A. Toon, E.E. Schirtzinger, and T.F. Wright (2011), Molecular systematics of two enigmatic genera _Psittacella_ and _Pezoporus_ illuminate the ecological radiation of Australo-Papuan parrots (Aves: Psittaciformes), _Mol. Phylogenet. Evol._ 59, 675-684.
Schweizer, M., M. Güntert, O. Seehausen, S.T. Hertwig (2010), The evolutionary diversification of parrots supports a taxon pulse model with multiple trans-oceanic dispersal events and local radiations, _Mol. Phylogenet. Evol._ 54, 984-994
PDFs of both papers can be found on the web. There’s another paper which seems to be in press might be relevant:
Joseph, L., A. Toon, E. Schirtzinger, T.F. Wright, & R. Schodde. A revised nomenclature and classification for family-group taxa of parrots (Psittaciformes) as identified by recent systematic studies. Zootaxa
Murray ===============================
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Don,
Both Clements and IOC treat it as Polytelis. Maybe I’ve missed a recent paper on re-splitting the genus.
World Bird Info says:
POLYTELIS ALEXANDRAE