Phylogeny of the ovenbird genus Upucerthia: a case of independent adaptations for terrestrial life

In view of the amount of adaptive radiation among ovenbirds, Furnariinae, the traditional taxonomy needs scrutiny. We used nuclear DNA data to study relationships of the genus Upucerthia. Five species belong in the Furnariini, as traditionally assumed. The other species represent two independent cases of specialisation for terrestrial life, in response to formation of arid habitats in the southern Andes, within the paraphyletic assemblage of arboreal species referred to as Philydorini.