Crithagra

Crithagra
Male brimstone canary Crithagra sulphuratus sharpii
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Subfamily: Carduelinae
Genus: Crithagra
Swainson, 1827
Species

See text

Crithagra is a genus of small passerine birds in the finch family (Fringillidae). They are found in Africa and Arabia.

The species in this genus were formerly assigned to the genus Serinus but phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences found that the genus was polyphyletic.[1] It was therefore split into two monophyletic genera. Eight species including the European serin (Serinus serinus) were retained in Serinus while the other species were assigned to the resurrected genus Crithagra.[2]

The name Crithagra had been introduced in 1827 by the English ornithologist William John Swainson.[3]

The genus contains 37 species:[2]

References

  1. Zuccon, Dario; Prŷs-Jones, Robert; Rasmussen, Pamela C.; Ericson, Per G.P. (2012). "The phylogenetic relationships and generic limits of finches (Fringillidae)" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 62 (2): 581–596. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.10.002.
  2. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David (eds.). "Finches, euphonias". World Bird List Version 5.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  3. Swainson, William (1827). "On several forms in ornithology not hitherto defined". Zoological Journal 3: 348.
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