Author: Bretagnolle, V., Attié, C., Pasquet, E.
Year: 1998
Title: Cytochrome-B Evidence for validity and Phylogenetic relationship on Pseudobulweria and Bulweria (Procellariidae).
Journal: Auk
Volume: 115
Issue: 1
Pages: 188-195

Abstract: Although the genus Pseudobulweria was described in 1936 for the Fiji Petrel (Ps.macgillivrayi), its validity, phylogenetic relationships, and the number of constituent taxa it contains remain controversian. We tried to clarify these issues with 496 bp sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome-b gene of 12 taxa representing three putative subspecies of Pseudobulweria, seven species in six other genera of the Procellariidae (fulmars, petrels, and shearwaters), and one species in six other genera of the Procellariidae (fulmars, peterls, and shearwaters), and one species each from the Hydrobatidae (storm-petrels) and Pelecanoididae (diving-petrels). We also include published sequences for two other petrels (Procellaria cinerea and Macronectes giganteus) and use Diomedea exulans and Pelecanus erythrorhynchos as outgroups. Based on the pronounced sequence divergence (5 to 5,5%) and separate phylogenetic history from other genera that have been thought to be closely related to or have been synonymized with Pseudobulweria, we conclude that the genus is valid, and that the Mascarene Petrel (Pseudobulweria aterrima) and the Tahiti Petrel (Ps. rostrata) are distinct species. In trees constructed with maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood, Pseudobulweria in the sister taxon to Puffinus and Calonectris, and these genera in turn are most closely related to Bulweria (and Procellaria in the maximum-parsimony tree). Pseudobulweria is not closely related to Pterodroma in either tree. Because Ps.r trouessarti from New Caledonia, and Ps. r. rostrata from Polynesia differ by only 0,6% these taxa do not deserve species status and should be regarded as valid subspecies.