Multi-locus phylogenetic inference among New World vultures (Aves: Cathartidae)
Open accessAbstract
New World Vultures are large-bodied carrion feeding birds in the family Cathartidae, currently consisting of seven species from five genera with geographic distributions in North and South America. No study to date has included all cathartid species in a single phylogenetic analysis. In this study, we investigated the phylogenetic relationships among all cathartid species using five nuclear (nuc; 4060bp) and two mitochondrial (mt; 2165bp) DNA loci with fossil calibrated gene tree (27 outgroup taxa) and coalescent-based species tree (2 outgroup taxa) analyses. We also included an additional four nuclear loci (2578bp) for the species tree analysis to explore changes in nodal support values. Although the stem lineage is inferred to have originated ∼69 million years ago (Ma; 74.5-64.9 credible interval), a more recent basal split within Cathartidae was recovered at ∼14Ma (17.1-11.1 credible interval). Two primary clades were identified: (1) Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) together with the three Cathartes species (Lesser C. burrovianus and Greater C. melambrotus Yellow-headed Vultures, and Turkey Vulture C. aura), and (2) King Vulture (Sarcoramphus papa), California (Gymnogyps californianus) and Andean (Vultur gryphus) Condors. Support for taxon relationships within the two basal clades were inconsistent between analyses with the exception of Black Vulture sister to a monophyletic Cathartes clade. Increased support for a yellow-headed vulture clade was recovered in the species t…
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These divergence estimates were similar to those inferred by Johnson et al. (2016) and Knapp et al. (2019).
“These estimates were similar to those inferred by Johnson et al. (2016) and Knapp et al. (2019”
From Enigmas no longer: using ultraconserved elements to place several unusual hawk taxa and address the non-monophyly of the genus <i>Accipiter</i> (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) (2025) · cites this paper as Johnson et al. (2016)
The estimated divergence time for the split between the two main clades of Cathartiformes is 15.6 MYA.
“Our estimated divergence time for the split between the two main clades of Cathartiformes (15.6 MYA) was similar to that of Johnson et al. (2016)”
From Enigmas no longer: using ultraconserved elements to place several unusual hawk taxa and address the non-monophyly of the genus <i>Accipiter</i> (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) (2025) · cites this paper as Johnson et al. (2016)
Vultur was sister to Gymnogyps + Sarcoramphus, with strong support (Bootstrap Value = 100).
“We also found strong evidence (Bootstrap Value = 100) that Vultur was sister to Gymnogyps + Sarcoramphus, corroborating the poorly supported topology recovered by Johnson et al. (2016).”
From Enigmas no longer: using ultraconserved elements to place several unusual hawk taxa and address the non-monophyly of the genus <i>Accipiter</i> (Accipitriformes: Accipitridae) (2025) · cites this paper as Johnson et al. (2016)
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A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing
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Strong mitochondrial DNA support for a Cretaceous origin of modern avian lineages
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Mindell, D. P., Fuchs, J., & Johnson, J. A. (2018) · Birds of Prey · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-73745-4_1 · Cited by 153 · see citing works
Self-citationCatanach, T. A., Halley, M. R., & Pirro, S. (2025) · Biological Journal of the Linnean Society · doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blae028 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
- Authors
- Johnson, J. A., Brown, J. W., Fuchs, J., & Mindell, D. P.
- Affiliations
- University of North Texas (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (US)
- Corresponding author
- Johnson, Jeff A.
- Venue
- Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2016-12
- Volume
- 105
- Pages
- 193-199
- ISSN
- 1055-7903 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2514524868
- Cited by
- 54
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 4
- FWCI
- 2.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- www.elsevier.com/legal/tdmrep-license (tdm)
- www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/ (am, 296 d)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-017 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-037 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-012 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-029 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-004 (stm-asf)
- Locations
- Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Plant Diversity and Evolution
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology
- Keywords
- Cathartidae, New World vultures, phylogenetic relationships, species tree, divergence time estimation, fossil calibration, nuclear loci, mitochondrial loci, Coragyps atratus, Sarcoramphus papa, California condor, Andean condor, Condor, speciation, life history
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Birds, California, DNA, DNA, Mitochondrial, Phylogeny, South America, Sequence Analysis, DNA
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