Phylogenetic placement of Mimizuku gurneyi (Aves : Strigidae) inferred from mitochondrial DNA

The nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial 12S rRNA (12S) and protein-cod- ing cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) spanning 1,010 and 1,130 base pairs, respectively, are reported for seven owl species representing six genera: Otus rnegalotis (Philippine Scops- Owl), O. longicornis (Luzon Scops-Owl), Bubo virginianus (Great Horned Owl), Asiofiarnrneus (Short-eared Owl), Ninox philippensis (Philippine Hawk-Owl), Tyto alba (Barn Owl; used as an outgroup), and the little known Mirnizuku gurneyi (Giant Scops-Owl). Separate phylo- genetic analyses of 12S, COI, and the combined 12S and COI data yielded congruent phy- 1ogenies, strongly supporting the phylogenetic affinity of Mirnizuku with Otus, as opposed to Bubo. The conservative nature of mitochondrial DNA evolution in Mirnizuku, in sharp con- trast to its unique derived morphological attributes, suggests that Mirnizuku is a recently evolved insular form of Otus that has undergone rapid morphological evolution towards gi- gantism, rather than being a small derivative of the much larger eagle-owls (Bubo) as has been suggested previously. Received 19 August 1996, accepted 5 March 1997.