Phylogenetic relationships within Cockatoos (Aves: Psittaciformes) based on DNA sequences of the seventh intron of nuclear β-fibrinogen gene

Some previous authors have made grouping and evolutionary relationships of cockatoos based on morphological characters, isozyme, and mitochondrial DNA. However, their relationships are still controversial, especially concerning the position of Nymphycus hollandicus. Since the nuclear -fibrinogen gene has been recognized useful for phylogenetic studies of some birds, this study employed the DNA sequence of seventh intron of this gene (fibint7) to construct phylogenetic relationships of cockatoos based on neighbor-joining (NJ) and maximum-parsimony (MP) methods. The results indicated that several indels were found in the sequence data of fibint7 in cockatoos. Due to the presence of indels, the sequence length varied among taxa. Transitions substitution seemed to be unsaturated over transversions and transversions did not appear to be saturated over genetic distances. The tribe Cacatuini composed of three genera Cacatua, Eolophus and Callocephalon was monophyletic. Although the relationships between species of the genus Cacatua were not resolved well, C. alba, C. galerita, C. goffini, C. sanguinea, C. moluccensis and C. sulphurea were grouped together and C. leadbeateri was relatively distant from other congeneric species. The tribe Calyptorhyncini consisting of Probosiger and Calyptorhynchus was paraphyletic and genus Calyptorhynchus was likely diverged earlier than Probosciger. Calyptorhynchus seemed monophyletic. Nymphicus (tribe Calopsittacini) seemed to be a basal clade of cockatoos. Jurnal Biologi Indonesia. 2011. 7 (1): 1-11. Juni