PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS OF MICRONESIAN WHITE-EYES BASED ON MITOCHONDRIAL SEQUENCE DATA

Abstract Using mitochondrial sequence data, we estimated phylogenetic relationships and genetic divergence among selected species of white-eyes (Zosteropidae). We focused on taxa endemic to islands in Micronesia, specifically Zosterops conspicillatus, Z. semperi, Z. hypolais, Rukia oleaginea, and Cleptornis marchei. We also included in our data set five additional species of Zosterops from the Indo-Australian region and three species from Africa, as well as additional passerine outgroups. Our mitochondrial sequence data revealed substantial genetic divergence (5.7 to 7.3%) among Z. conspicillatus, Z. semperi, and Z. hypolais, three taxa that formerly were treated as a single species. In addition, a sequence divergence of 6.5 ± SE of 1.7% was found between the population of Z. conspicillatus from Rota and “conspecific” populations on Guam, Tinian, and Saipan. The distinctiveness of the Rota population suggests that this taxon should be recognized as a distinct species, a result that bears on the conservati...