Phylogeny and Systematics of Estrildine Finches and Their Relationships to Other Seed-eating Passerines

Abstract

A cladistic analysis of chromosomal and electrophoretic data provided the basis for a phylogeny and revision of estrildine finches. The results indicate that estrildines are best treated as a subfamily, Estrildinae, within the Passeridae. The Estrildinae themselves comprise three natural tribal assemblages: Poephilini (grassfinches), Lonchurini (mannikins) and Estrildini (waxbills). Of these, the Lonchurini appear to be the most recently evolved. The Red-browed Finch Aegintha temporalis and Plum-headed Finch Aidemosyne modesta are each other's closest relatives and, together with the Star Finch Neochima ruficauda and Crimson Finch N. phaeton, constitute a single genus. The currently recognised genera, Poephila, Emblema and Lonchura are split into several smaller genera.