[Ornithology • 2018] Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus • A Striking, Critically Endangered, New Species of Hillstar (Trochilidae: Oreotrochilus) from the southwestern Andes of Ecuador

Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus

Sornoza-Molina, Freile, Nilsson, Krabbe & Bonaccorso, 2018

Adult male (above left, center right), adult female (below), and immature male (above right)
at the type locality, El Oro province, southwest Ecuador. 

 DOI:  10.1642/AUK-18-58.1

Illustration: Paul Greenfield 

ABSTRACT

We describe a new species of the genus Oreotrochilus from the southwestern Andes of Ecuador. The new species is most similar in adult male plumage to O. stolzmanni and O. chimborazo. However, male and female show unique combinations of plumage characters that are likely to act as social signals. Phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial DNA indicate that this new taxon is closely related to O. stolzmanni and O. melanogaster, whereas genetic distances and preliminary comparisons of vocalizations suggest a sister relationship with O. stolzmanni. The geographic distribution of the new species seems to be restricted to cordillera Chilla-Tioloma-Fierro Urcu, in the southwestern highlands of Ecuador, an area historically poorly explored by ornithologists. Thus, based on its restricted distribution, apparently low population size, and lack of protection of its habitat, we evaluate it as critically endangered.

Keywords: Andes, Oreotrochilus, southwest Ecuador, sp. nov., Trochilidae

Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus sp. nov.

Blue-throated Hillstar / Estrella de Garganta Azul (Spanish)

Holotype: Study skin MECN-9614; adult male (testes 3.7 × 3 mm, no bursa fabricii), 1 km W of Cerro de Arcos, El Oro province; 3,648 m a.s.l.; collected on May 23, 2017, by F. Sornoza-Molina, J. Freile, and J. Nilsson; prepared by F. Sornoza-Molina; field catalogue number AVES-0319; GenBank accession number MH543324.

FIGURE 1. Series of Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus species nova collected at Cerro de Arcos, El Oro province, southwest Ecuador, May 23, 2017:
(A) holotype, (B) paratopotype male, (C) paratopotype females, (D) paratype males.

Diagnosis: The following combination of characters are diagnostic for male Oreotrochilus cyanolaemus from other Oreotrochilus species (Figure 4): (1) ultramarine blue throat, (2) emerald green head with blue green terminal tips, (3) emerald green upperparts with blue green terminal tips, (4) narrow and faint emerald green terminal tips to throat feathers. Females are distinguished by the following characters: (1) dusky grayish chin and upper throat contrasting with whitish lower throat, (2) emerald green head with blue green terminal tips, (3) emerald green upperparts with faint blue green shine, especially on the rump.

....

Etymology: The compound specific epithet is a Latinized Greek noun in apposition (ICZN 1999) and describes the most distinctive character of the new species: its deep to ultramarine blue (kuanos) throat patch or gorget (laimos = throat).

Francisco Sornoza-Molina, Juan F. Freile, Jonas Nilsson, Niels Krabbe and Elisa Bonaccorso. 2018. A Striking, Critically Endangered, New Species of Hillstar (Trochilidae: Oreotrochilus) from the southwestern Andes of Ecuador [Una sorprendente y críticamente amenazada especie nueva de estrella (Trochilidae: Oreotrochilus) de los Andes suroccidentales de Ecuador]. The Auk. 135(4);1146-1171. DOI:  10.1642/AUK-18-58.1

Newly discovered hummingbird species already critically endangered  phys.org/news/2018-09-newly-hummingbird-species-critically-endangered.html via @physorg_com

 twitter.com/AukJournal/status/1044971594303426560

  

Una sorprendente y críticamente amenazada especie nueva de estrella (Trochilidae: Oreotrochilus) de los Andes suroccidentales de Ecuador 

RESUMEN: Describimos una nueva especie del género Oreotrochilus de los Andes suroccidentales de Ecuador. Esta nueva especie se asemeja en plumaje de macho adulto a O. stolzmanni y O. chimborazo. Sin embargo, macho y hembra muestran una combinación única de características de plumaje que probablemente actúan como señales sociales. Los análisis filogenéticos basados en ADN mitocondrial muestran que la nueva especie está más emparentada con O. stolzmanni y O. melanogaster, mientras que las distancias genéticas y un análisis preliminar de vocalizaciones sugieren que es especie hermana de O. stolzmanni. La distribución geográfica de esta nueva especie está al parecer confinada a las cordilleras de Chilla-Tioloma-Fierro Urcu, en los Andes del suroeste de Ecuador, en un área históricamente poco explorada desde el punto de vista ornitológico. En base a su distribución muy restringida, aparente bajo tamaño poblacional y la falta de protección en sus hábitats, la calificamos como críticamente amenazada.

Palabras clave: Oreotrochilus, sp. nov., Trochilidae, Andes, suroccidente de Ecuador

[Ornithology • 2017] Heliangelus zusii • An Extinct Hummingbird Species That Never Was: A Cautionary Tale About Sampling Issues in Molecular Phylogenetics

Phylogenetic relationships among species and populations of Aglaiocercus, Taphrolesbia, the Rogitama hybrid hummingbird, and Heliangelus zusii based on sequences of the ND2 mitochondrial gene. Strongly supported nodes (0.95 Bayesian posterior probability, 80% maximum-likelihood bootstrap) are indicated with black dots. Although nodal support for deep branches is low, note that both the Rogitama bird and H. zusii have haplotypes closely allied to those of A. kingii from the Eastern Andes of Colombia, indicating they are both hybrids sharing A. kingii as female parent.

in Perez-Eman, Ferreira, Gutierrez-Pinto, et al., 2017.

 DOI:  10.1101/149898  

Illustrations courtesy of Lynx Edicions; Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 15, 1999.

Abstract

The Bogota Sunangel (Heliangelus zusii) was described based on a historical specimen lacking locality data as a striking - and potentially extinct - new species of hummingbird more than two decades ago. However, it was considered a dubious taxon by some researchers until a molecular study with strong species-level taxon sampling revealed its phylogenetic affinities and validated its status as a distinct species. We reanalysed existing mitochondrial DNA data together with a new data set sampling multiple populations of the Long-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingii), a species broadly distributed in the Andes of South America. In contrast to previous work, we found that H. zusii shares a haplotype with specimens of A. kingii from the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, which is phylogenetically nested within a clade formed by populations of A. kingii from the Colombian Andes. These results suggest that H. zusii is not a distinct species, but is most likely the result of hybridization between a female A. kingii and a male of another hummingbird species. These findings highlight the importance of thorough taxonomic and geographic sampling when assessing the likelihood of hybrid origin of an organism, particularly in cases potentially involving wide-ranging species in areas where deep phylogeographic structure is likely.

Keywords: Aglaiocercus, geographic sampling, Heliangelus zusii, hybridization, phylogeography.

Figure 1. (A) Geographic ranges of Aglaiocercus kingii, A. coelestis, and Taphrolesbia griseiventris in northern South America (polygons), and geographic provenance of specimens of these species and of the Rogitama hybrid hummingbird included in molecular phylogenetic analyses (dots and star).

Figure 1. (A) Geographic ranges of Aglaiocercus kingii, A. coelestis, and Taphrolesbia griseiventris in northern South America (polygons), and geographic provenance of specimens of these species and of the Rogitama hybrid hummingbird included in molecular phylogenetic analyses (dots and star).
(B) Phylogenetic relationships among species and populations of Aglaiocercus, Taphrolesbia, the Rogitama hybrid hummingbird, and Heliangelus zusii based on sequences of the ND2 mitochondrial gene. Strongly supported nodes (0.95 Bayesian posterior probability, 80% maximum-likelihood bootstrap) are indicated with black dots. Although nodal support for deep branches is low, note that both the Rogitama bird and H. zusii have haplotypes closely allied to those of A. kingii from the Eastern Andes of Colombia, indicating they are both hybrids sharing A. kingii as female parent.

 Illustrations courtesy of Lynx Edicions; Handbook of the Birds of the World, Vol. 15, 1999.

Jorge L. Perez-Eman, Jhoniel Perdigon Ferreira, Natalia Gutierrez-Pinto, Andres M. Cuervo, Laura N. Cespedes, Christopher C. Witt and Carlos Daniel Cadena. 2017. An Extinct Hummingbird Species That Never Was: A Cautionary Tale About Sampling Issues in Molecular Phylogenetics. bioRxiv. DOI:  10.1101/149898 

[Ornithology • 2017] Campylopterus calcirupicola • A Cryptic New Species of Hummingbird of the Campylopterus largipennis complex (Aves: Trochilidae)

Dry-forest Sabrewing | Campylopterus calcirupicola 

Lopes, de Vasconcelos & Gonzaga, 2017

FIGURE 7. The newly described Campylopterus calcirupicola from eastern Brazilian tropical dry forests.  

watercolor painting by Walter Gam ||  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4268.1.1 

Abstract

A new species of Campylopterus sabrewing is described from eastern Brazilian tropical dry forests occurring below 900 m asl. Its holotype (MZUSP 99024) is an adult female from Sítio Duboca (16°43’19’’S, 43°58’20’’W, elevation 840 m), municipality of Montes Claros, state of Minas Gerais. A taxonomic revision based on more than 1,000 museum specimens revealed that the new taxon, together with C. largipennis, C. diamantinensis and C. obscurus (with C. aequatorialis considered as a subjective junior synonym) should be ranked as species. We provide a key to permit easy identification of the four species. The new species is very similar to the parapatric C. diamantinensis of high altitude “campos rupestres” above 1,000 m asl, differing from it by its smaller size and longer light tail tips, as well as by sternum measurements. Given the several threats faced by the habitat to which the new species is endemic, we propose to consider it as Vulnerable under the IUCN criteria.

Keywords: cryptic biodiversity, Neotropical, Trochilidae, tropical dry forests, Aves

  A young male of Campylopterus calcirupicola captured on 18 July 2006 in the Fazenda Corredor (880 m asl), municipality of Bocaiúva, Minas Gerais, Brazil (DZUFMG 5005). Photographs by LEL. 

Campylopterus calcirupicola sp. nov. Dry-forest Sabrewing (English)

Asa-de-sabre-da-mata-seca (Portuguese)

Etymology. The name calcirupicola is Latin, composed by “calx”, calcis, limestone; “rupes”, steep rocks; and “cola”, dwelling (Eggli & Newton 2004). It refers to the habitat of this new hummingbird, which inhabits dry forests growing on limestone outcrops. This specific name matches that for the cactus Cereus calcirupicola F. Ritter, found in the type locality and in the same habitat (Ritter 1979) of the new hummingbird. The vernacular names we propose also refer to the habitat used by the new species.

Geographic distribution. Campylopterus calcirupicola has been recorded from Divinópolis de Goiás (northeastern state of Goiás) and Coribe (southwestern state of Bahia) to Bocaiúva (northern state of Minas Gerais) on both banks of the São Francisco River, as well as in the Paranã River valley, an important tributary of the Tocantins River, west of the Serra Geral (Figures 9 and 10). The altitudinal range of this new species is between 460–880 m asl. The range of C. calcirupicola probably extends to southeastern Tocantins (Dornas et al. 2014) and the southern part of the state of Piauí (Santos 2004), from where there are sight records of C. largipennis. We believe that the specimen of C. largipennis from “Posse, Goiás” cited by Silva (1990) as housed in the MNRJ refers to the specimen from “Galheiros” housed in the same institution and mentioned by Ruschi (1951), probably representing a toponymic mistake committed by Silva (1990).

 Leonardo E. Lopes, Marcelo F. De Vasconcelos and Luiz P. Gonzaga. 2017. A Cryptic New Species of Hummingbird of the Campylopterus largipennis complex (Aves: Trochilidae). Zootaxa. 4268(1); 1–33.   DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4268.1.1

http://www.institutopristino.org.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/A-cryptic-new-species-of-hummingbird-of-the-Campylopterus-largipennis-complex-Aves-Trochilidae.pdf

facebook.com/WagnerNogueira92/posts/1396079997136504

facebook.com/TiribadoParana/photos/1240760329380838

CONHEÇA CARAMUJO E BEIJA-FLOR DESCOBERTOS POR CIENTISTAS DE MINAS

http://minasfazciencia.com.br/infantil/2017/06/05/%EF%BB%BFconheca-caramujo-e-beija-flor-descobertos-por-cientistas-de-minas/ 

[Botany • 2015] Puya loca • A New Species of Puya (Bromeliaceae) from the Páramos near Bogotá, Colombia

Pollinators of Puya loca observed at the Tunjaque hill, Pterophanes cyanopterus (male).

Photographs by J. P. Lopez-Ordonez.

  DOI: 10.18257/raccefyn.223

Puya loca Madriñán 

  DOI: 10.18257/raccefyn.223

Abstract

A new species of Puya from the páramos in the vicinity of Bogotá, Colombia, is described. Puya loca differs from all known species of the genus Puya by its ferrugineo-tomentose bracts and sepals abaxially, and deep-purple colored petals. It is, until now, endemic to small isolated patches of páramos North-East of Bogotá, in the Chingaza Páramo Complex. It forms dense mats of rosettes on rocky cliffs. The new species is compared to other known species from the surroundings of Bogotá, as well as to species with similar colored flowers from other regions.

Key words: Bromeliaceae, Chingaza Complex, Cerro Tunjaque, Páramos, Puya loca.

Etimología: el nombre de la especie rinde honor a la ‘puya loca’, canción popular del Caribe colombiano compuesta por Diofante Jiménez Robles, del conjunto folclórico ‘Cumbia Soledeña’, que se interpreta al compás de la ‘puya’, un subgénero musical de la cumbia caracterizado por su ritmo rápido y jocoso. El epíteto específico proviene del adjetivo femenino ‘loca’, utilizado algunas veces como sinónimo de excéntrica, y que se refiriere al color inusual de sus flores.

Resumen: Se describe una nueva especie de Puya de los páramos cercanos a Bogotá, Colombia. Puya loca difiere de todas las especies conocidas del género Puya por el envés de sus brácteas y sépalos ferrugíneo-tomentosos y pétalos de color púrpura intenso. Esta nueva especie forma masas densas de rosetas en acantilados rocosos. Hasta el momento es endémica de pequeños parches aislados de páramos al noreste de Bogotá, en el complejo de páramos de Chingaza. La nueva especie se compara con otras que tienen flores de color similar y crecen en los alrededores de Bogotá y en otras áreas.

Palabras clave: Bromeliaceae, complejo Chingaza, cerro Tunjaque, páramos, Puya loca.

Santiago Madriñán. 2015. Una nueva especie de Puya (Bromeliaceae) de los páramos cercanos a Bogotá, Colombia [A New Species of Puya (Bromeliaceae) from the Páramos near Bogotá, Colombia]. Rev. acad. colomb. cienc. exact. fis. nat. 39(152).   DOI: 10.18257/raccefyn.223 

[Ornithology • 2015] Divergence in Morphology, Calls, Song, Mechanical Sounds, and Genetics supports Species Status for the Inaguan Hummingbird (Trochilidae: Calliphlox “evelynae” lyrura)

Male Inagua Lyretail Calliphlox lyrura in flight. Males differ from the Bahama Woodstar Calothorax evelynae in their longer “lyre”-shaped outer tail-feathers and magenta crown. Analyses of the song, courtship display, and DNA indicates the Inagua Lyretail is a separate species from the Bahama Woodstar. 

Photo: Anand Varma | VarmaPhoto.com | DOI: 10.1642/AUK-14-108.1

ABSTRACT

The Bahama Woodstar (Calliphlox evelynae), a hummingbird endemic to the Bahama Archipelago, comprises two currently recognized subspecies: Calliphlox e. evelynae, found throughout the Bahamas and in the Turks and Caicos Islands, except on Great and Little Inagua; and C. e. lyrura, named for its unique, lyre-shaped outer tail feathers and found only on the islands of Great and Little Inagua. The two were originally described as separate species, partly on the basis of their divergent tail morphology, but were subsequently lumped by Peters (1945). These taxa are members of the North American “bee” hummingbird clade, which produce mechanical sounds with their tails during courtship displays. Changes in tail shape may produce significant acoustic divergence. To determine the extent of differentiation between lyrura and evelynae, we collected field recordings of calls, songs, and courtship displays from New Providence and Great Inagua islands and surveyed morphological variation across the archipelago. We sequenced 4 nuclear loci and 2 mitochondrial genes from 9 individuals of evelynae and 6 individuals of lyrura. Both sexes of lyrura and evelynae can be diagnosed by vocal calls, and males can be diagnosed by morphology, song, and courtship display. Phylogenetic reconstructions based on the genetic data indicate that the 2 populations are reciprocally monophyletic and that they diverged ∼0.69 mya. Our data indicate that lyrura is a unique evolutionary lineage that warrants species status under both the phylogenetic and the biological species concept.

 Keywords: Bahamas, Calliphlox evelynae lyrura, courtship, display dive, sonation, taxonomy

The Bahama woodstar (Calothorax evelynae): two males (left; lower right) with one female (top right).

Illustration by John Gould, 1880.

Male Bahama Woodstar Calliphlox evelynae in flight. This species is found throughout the Bahamas except in Inagua, and has shorter tail-feathers than the Inagua Lyretail.

Photo: Anand Varma | VarmaPhoto.com | DOI: 10.1642/AUK-14-108.1

Teresa J. Feo, Jacob M. Musser, Jacob Berv and Christopher James Clark. 2015. Divergence in Morphology, Calls, Song, Mechanical Sounds, and Genetics supports Species Status for the Inaguan Hummingbird (Trochilidae: Calliphlox “evelynae” lyrura). [Las divergencias en morfología, llamados, canto, sonidos mecánicos y genética apoyan el status de especie de Calliphlox “evelynae” lyrura (Trochilidae).] The Auk. 132(1): 248-264. DOI: 10.1642/AUK-14-108.1

researchgate.net/publication/270884695_Divergence_in_morphology_calls_song_mechanical_sounds_and_genetics_supports_species_status_for_the_Inaguan_hummingbird_(Trochilidae_Calliphlox_evelynae_lyrura)

RESUMEN

Calliphlox evelynae es un picaflor endémico del archipiélago de Bahamas e incluye dos taxa reconocidos actualmente como subespecies. Calliphlox e. evelynae se encuentra a lo largo de las Bahamas y Turks y Caicos, excepto en Gran y Pequeña Inagua. Calliphlox e. lyrura se encuentra solo en las islas de Gran y Pequeña Inagua, y debe su nombre a las plumas externas de la cola únicas con forma de lira. En parte basada en la morfología divergente de sus colas, evelynae y lyrura fueron descriptas originalmente como especies separadas, pero fueron agrupadas subsecuentemente por Peters (1945). Estos dos taxa son miembros del clado de picaflores “abeja” de América del Norte, que producen sonidos mecánicos con sus colas durante los despliegues de cortejo. Los cambios en la forma de la cola pueden producir una divergencia acústica significativa. Para determinar el grado de diferenciación entre lyrura y evelynae, colectamos registros de campo de llamados, cantos y despliegues de cortejo en Nueva Providencia y Gran Inagua, y estudiamos la variación morfológica a través del archipiélago. Secuenciamos cuatro loci nucleares y dos genes mitocondriales de nueve individuos de evelynae y de seis individuos de lyrura. Ambos sexos de lyrura y evelynae pueden ser diagnosticados por las llamadas vocales, y los machos pueden ser diagnosticados por la morfología, el canto y el despliegue de cortejo. Las reconstrucciones filogenéticas basadas en los datos genéticos indican que las dos poblaciones son recíprocamente monofiléticas, y se separaron hace aproximadamente 0,69 millones de años. Nuestros datos indican que lyrura es un linaje evolutivo único que justifica el estatus de especie bajo los conceptos de especie filogenético o biológico.

Palabras clave: Bahamas, Calliphlox evelynae lyrura, cortejo, exhibición de buceo, sonación, taxonomía

A New Species of Hummingbird? ...Data from morphology, behavior, genetics and geology support recognizing “Calliphlox evelynae lyrura” as a new species, says UC Riverside’s Christopher Clark http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/27199

A new species of hummingbird? http://phy.so/342947202 via @physorg_com

Inaguan Lyretail: Scientists Unveil New Species of Hummingbird | sci-news.com/biology/science-inaguan-lyretail-new-species-hummingbird-02510.html

http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/26133 | http://ucrtoday.ucr.edu/26570 

[Ornithology • 2014] Bills as Daggers? A Test for Sexually Dimorphic Weapons in A Lekking Hummingbird

Long-billed Hermit Phaethornis longirostris in flight, at Cope Wildlife, Guapiles, Costa Rica.

Photo: Chris Jimenez | doi: 10.1093/beheco/aru182 | today.uconn.edu

Abstract

One way in which secondary sexual traits can influence differential reproductive success is by playing a key role in the outcome of direct physical contests for mates. Here we describe an undocumented trait in a species of hummingbird with a lek mating system, the Long-billed hermit (LBH, Phaethornis longirostris). The trait under consideration is a dagger-like structure at the bill tip, which we hypothesize is a secondary sexual trait that functions as a sexually dimorphic weapon. We tested our hypothesis by examining 5 leks during 4 consecutive years, and by employing morphological analyses, performance experiments, and behavioral observations. We found that 1) adult male bill tips were longer and pointier than their counterparts in females and juvenile males, 2) juvenile males acquired dagger-like tips during their transition to adulthood, 3) variation in bill tip morphology reflected puncture capability, and 4) males with larger and pointier bill tips were more successful in achieving lek territory tenure. Our study provides the first evidence of sexually dimorphic weapons in bird bills and stands as one of the few examples of male weaponry in birds. Our results suggest a role of sexual selection on the evolution of overall bill morphology, an alternative hypothesis to the prevailing “ecological causation” explanation for bill sexual dimorphism in hummingbirds.

Key words: animal weaponry, bill morphology, ecological causation, intrasexual competition, male combat, secondary sexual traits, sexual dimorphism, trochilidae.

Alejandro Rico-Guevara and Marcelo Araya-Salas. 2014. Bills as Daggers? A Test for Sexually Dimorphic Weapons in A Lekking Hummingbird. Behavioral Ecology (2014), 00(00), 1–9. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1093/beheco/aru182

http://marceloarayasalas.weebly.com/uploads/2/5/5/2/25524573/rico-guevara__araya-salas_2014.pdf

Fighting for Females: The Evolution of a Hummingbird

http://today.uconn.edu/blog/2014/11/fighting-for-females-the-evolution-of-a-hummingbird/

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/hummingbirds-take-stab-rivals-dagger-tipped-bills

[Ornithology • 2013] The Taxonomic and Conservation Status of the Oxypogon Helmetcrests

Buffy Helmetcrest Oxypogon stubelii by Juan José Arango, 

Blue-bearded Helmetcrest Oxypogon cyanolaemus by John Gould,

White-bearded Helmetcrest Oxypogon lindenii by Hugo Arnal, and 

Green-bearded Helmetcrest Oxypogon guerinii by Jacob Drucker.

neotropical.birds.cornell.edu | proaves.org

Abstract

Morphological variation in the genus Oxypogon was studied using biometrics and plumage data, and available sound recordings were inspected. Four distinct populations of Bearded Helmetcrest Oxypogon guerinii (cyanolaemus in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, lindenii in the Venezuelan Andes, guerinii in the East Andes of Colombia, and stubelii in the Central Andes of Colombia) were lumped without justification in the 1940s but are highly distinct in multiple plumage and morphometric characters. Species rank is suggested for all four taxa, following species scoring tests. We draw special attention to O. cyanolaemus of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, which has not been reported since 1946. It is recommended for the IUCN criteria of Critically Endangered, although it may possibly already be extinct.

Key words: Oxypogon, Bearded helmetcrests, taxonomy, conservation, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, paramo

Collar, N.J. & Salaman, P. 2013. The Taxonomic and Conservation Status of the Oxypogon Helmetcrests. Conservación Colombiana. 19: 31-38.

http://www.proaves.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/The-taxonomic-and-conservation-status-of-the-Oxypogon-helmetcrests.pdf

http://www.proaves.org/internationally-recognized-two-species-of-hummingbirds-and-a-flycatcher-new-to-colombia/

Proposed splits are accepted of Oxypogon Helmetcrests into four species (three in Colombia)

Green-bearded Helmetcrest Oxypogon guerinii 

Blue-bearded Helmetcrest O. cyanolaemus 

Buffy Helmetcrest O. stubelii 

We accept the splits set out in Collar & Salaman (2013), resulting in recognition of three species occurring in Colombia, guerinii in the Central Andes, cyanolaemus in Santa Marta and stubelii in the East Andes. All are known from specimen records in Colombia so can be considered confirmed for the country.

http://www.proaves.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Checklist-Update-2013-Conservacion-Colombiana-19-3-10.pdf

[Ornithology • 2014] Evolution of Sweet Taste Perception in Hummingbirds by Transformation of the Ancestral Umami Receptor

A ruby-throated hummingbird Archilochus colubris feeds on mimosa flowers.

Photograph by George Grall newswatch.nationalgeographic.com

ABSTRACT

Sensory systems define an animal's capacity for perception and can evolve to promote survival in new environmental niches. We have uncovered a noncanonical mechanism for sweet taste perception that evolved in hummingbirds since their divergence from insectivorous swifts, their closest relatives. We observed the widespread absence in birds of an essential subunit (T1R2) of the only known vertebrate sweet receptor, raising questions about how specialized nectar feeders such as hummingbirds sense sugars. Receptor expression studies revealed that the ancestral umami receptor (the T1R1-T1R3 heterodimer) was repurposed in hummingbirds to function as a carbohydrate receptor. Furthermore, the molecular recognition properties of T1R1-T1R3 guided taste behavior in captive and wild hummingbirds. We propose that changing taste receptor function enabled hummingbirds to perceive and use nectar, facilitating the massive radiation of hummingbird species.

......

 The makings of a powerful sweet tooth

The main attraction of nectar, a hummingbird favorite, is the sweet taste of sugar. Oddly, though, birds lack the main vertebrate receptor for sweet taste, TIR2. Baldwin et al. show that a related receptor, TIR1-T1R3, which generally controls savory taste in vertebrates, adapts in hummingbirds to detect sweet (see the Perspective by Jiang and Beauchamp). This repurposing probably allowed hummingbirds to specialize in nectar feeding and may have assisted the evolution of the many and varied hummingbird species seen today.

 ......

Maude W. Baldwin, Yasuka Toda, Tomoya Nakagita, Mary J. O'Connell, Kirk C. Klasing, Takumi Misaka, Scott V. Edwards and Stephen D. Liberles. 2014. Evolution of Sweet Taste Perception in Hummingbirds by Transformation of the Ancestral Umami Receptor. Science. 345(6199); 929-933. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1255097

Scientists Solve Mystery of How Hummingbirds Taste Sweetness

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2014/08/21/scientists-solve-mystery-of-how-hummingbirds-taste-sweetness

How hummingbirds evolved to detect sweetness

http://phys.org/news/2014-08-hummingbirds-evolved-sweetness.html

[Ornithology • 2014] Molecular Phylogenetics and the Diversification of Hummingbirds

Highlights

• We present a time-calibrated multilocus phylogeny for 284 species of hummingbirds

• Hummingbird diversification began ∼22 million years ago

• Hummingbirds diversified rapidly, but via heterogeneous clade-specific processes

• Invasion of new land areas such as the Andes and North America spurred diversification

Summary

The tempo of species diversification in large clades can reveal fundamental evolutionary mechanisms that operate on large temporal and spatial scale. Hummingbirds have radiated into a diverse assemblage of specialized nectarivores comprising 338 species, but their evolutionary history has not, until now, been comprehensively explored. We studied hummingbird diversification by estimating a time-calibrated phylogeny for 284 hummingbird species, demonstrating that hummingbirds invaded South America by ∼22 million years ago, and subsequently diversified into nine principal clades. Using ancestral state reconstruction and diversification analyses, we (1) estimate the age of the crown-group hummingbird assemblage, (2) investigate the timing and patterns of lineage accumulation for hummingbirds overall and regionally, and (3) evaluate the role of Andean uplift in hummingbird speciation. Detailed analyses reveal disparate clade-specific processes that allowed for ongoing species diversification. One factor was significant variation among clades in diversification rates. For example, the nine principal clades of hummingbirds exhibit ∼15-fold variation in net diversification rates, with evidence for accelerated speciation of a clade that includes the Bee, Emerald, and Mountain Gem groups of hummingbirds. A second factor was colonization of key geographic regions, which opened up new ecological niches. For example, some clades diversified in the context of the uplift of the Andes Mountains, whereas others were affected by the formation of the Panamanian land bridge. Finally, although species accumulation is slowing in all groups of hummingbirds, several major clades maintain rapid rates of diversification on par with classical examples of rapid adaptive radiation.

Jimmy A. McGuire, Christopher C. Witt, J.V. Remsen Jr., Ammon Corl, Daniel L. Rabosky, Douglas L. Altshuler and Robert Dudley. 2014. Molecular Phylogenetics and the Diversification of Hummingbirds. Current Biology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2014.03.016

Hummingbird Family Tree
In a 12-year-long study of 284 of the world’s 338 known hummingbird species, an international team of ornithologists has mapped the 22-million-year-old family tree of these tiny birds.

http://www.sci-news.com/biology/science-hummingbird-family-tree-01829.html