Zosterops

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Zosterops
Z. palpebrosus egregius, Sri Lanka
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Zosteropidae
Genus: Zosterops
Vigors & Horsfield, 1827
Type species
Motacilla maderaspatana (Malagasy white-eye)
Linnaeus, 1766
Species

See text

Zosterops (meaning "eye-

Zosteropidae. The genus has the largest number of species in the white-eye family. They occur in the Afrotropical, Indomalayan, and Australasian realms. Typical white-eyes have a length of between 8 and 15 cm (3 and 6 in). Their most characteristic feature is a conspicuous white feather ring around the eye, though some species lack it. The species in this group vary in the structural adaptations of the tongue.[1] The Zosterops [griseotinctus] group is an example of a "great speciator" inhabiting a vast area and showing a remarkable morphological differentiation on islands, some of which maybe as close as 2 km (1.2 mi) apart.[2]

Systematics

The genus Zosterops was introduced by the naturalists Nicholas Vigors and Thomas Horsfield in 1827.[3] The name combines the Ancient Greek words zōstēros "belt" or "girdle" and ōpos "eye".[4] The type species was designated as the Malagasy white-eye by René Lesson in 1828.[5][6]

The results of a series of molecular phylogenetic studies of the

Zosteropidae published between 2014 and 2018 prompted a major revision of species limits, in which 10 new genera were introduced. In the reorganisation, the English names of three of the existing genera were replaced.[7][8][9][10][11]

Additionally, a study on Sri Lanka white-eyes (Zosterops ceylonensis) and Indian white-eyes (Zosterops palpebrosus) suggests that the Sri Lanka white-eye is the root species and the origin of all Zosterops species.[12] This raises questions upon the former theory of Southeast Asian origin.

Species

Black-capped white-eye
Z. atricapilla
Zosterops mauritianus).jpg
Zosterops chloronothos).jpg

There are over 100 species in the genus. This includes three species (denoted by a dagger † in the list below) that have become extinct since the 16th century.[11]

References

  1. ^ Moreau, R. E.; Perrins, M.; Hughes, J. T. (1969). "Tongues of the Zosteropidae (white-eyes)". Ardea. 57: 29–47.
  2. PMID 19181851
    .
  3. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1826.tb00115.x
    . The title page is dated 1826.
  4. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4
    .
  5. ^ Lesson, René P. (1828). Manuel d'ornithologie, ou Description des genres et des principales espèces d'oiseaux (in French). Vol. 1. Paris: Roret. p. 286.
  6. ^ Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1986). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 12. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 290.
  7. PMID 24954273
    .
  8. doi:10.25226/bboc.v137i2.2017.a12
    .
  9. doi:10.25226/bboc.v137i2.2017.a13
    .
  10. S2CID 254162519
    .
  11. ^
    Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Sylviid babblers, parrotbills, white-eyes"
    . IOC World Bird List Version 11.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  12. PMID 28792950
    .
  13. ^ a b c d "Species Updates – IOC World Bird List". Retrieved 2021-05-28.
  14. ^ Anderson, Natali (2022-10-21). "Newly-Described Bird Species is Endemic to Indonesian Island | Sci.News". Sci.News: Breaking Science News. Retrieved 2022-10-22.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zosterops.
Wikispecies has information related to Zosterops.
Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article "Zosterops".
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