Variação morfológica, vocal e molecular em Hylopezus macularius (Temminck, 1830) (Aves, Grallariidae)

Abstract

A systematic revision of the polytypic Spotted Antpitta (Hylopezus macularius, Grallariidae) based on morphometric, plumage, vocal, and molecular characters is presented. Morphological and vocal analyses were based, respectively, on 45 specimens and 104 recordings. Molecular phylogenies were inferred based on ca. 1.371 bp of the mitochondrial DNA genes 16S, ND2, and cyt b belonging to 26 specimens, including several outgroups. Our results revealed the existence of an undescribed taxon endemic to the Madeira – Xingu interfluve, cryptically similar in morphology to paraensis, but vocally and genetically readily distinguished from the latter and any other taxon grouped under H. macularius. Molecular trees obtained recovered with strong support the reciprocal monophyly among four main lineages of the Spotted Antpitta, three corresponding to already named taxa (dilutus, macularius, and paraensis), and one to the unnamed taxon, which is described herein. We show that those four taxa are also mutually diagnosed by a combination of both vocal and morphological features, and therefore recommend treating them as separate species. Dating of the molecular trees indicated that splits among species of the Spotted Antpitta complex took place between 2.92 and 0.78 mya, with the older splits concentrated in northwestern Amazonia (across the Negro and upper Amazon rivers) and the most recent ones in the southeastern part of the basin (across the Xingu river).