Avian Phylogenetics Martyn Kennedy Graham Wallis

Previous Work on Birds

Adrian Paterson's PhD studies investigated the coevolution of seabirds and their feather lice. To construct phylogenies for these groups he used sequence data from the 12S rRNA gene and isozyme information (see publications below).

Current Work on Birds

For his PhD, Martyn Kennedy is using mitochondrial genes to construct a phylogeny for the Pelecaniformes. Taxa include the tropicbirds, frigatebirds, pelicans, boobies, gannets, darters and the cormorants and shags. These sequence based trees will be compared with a phylogeny estimated from behavioural characters. (Supervised by Hamish Spencer and Russell Gray)   Using the same genes, Martyn is constructing a phylogeny for the Australasian Teal, a group of waterfowl that include the Brown Teal, Auckland Island Teal and Campbell Island Teal (in conjunction with Murray Williams).

Selected Publications

Kennedy, M., Spencer, H.G. and Gray, R.D. A yellow-footed pink-footed shag: an unusual Stewart Island Shag (Leucocarbo chalconotus) observed at Taiaroa Head. Notornis 40: 270-272 (1993)

Kennedy, M., Spencer, H.G. and Gray, R.D. Hop, step and gape: do the social displays of the Pelecaniformes reflect phylogeny? Animal Behaviour 51: 273-291 (1996) (An erratum to this paper was published in Animal Behaviour 51, 1197.)

Paterson, A.M. and Gray, R.D. Cospeciation of birds and ectoparasites. In: Coevolutionary Biology of Birds and Parasites. D.H. Clayton and J. Moore (eds). Oxford University Press, Oxford. (1996)

Paterson, A.M., Gray, R.D. and Wallis, G.P. Of lice and men: the return of the 'comparative parasitology' debate. Parasitology Today 11: 158-160 (1995)

Paterson, A.M., Wallis, G.P., and Gray, R.D. Penguins, petrels and parsimony: does cladistic analysis of behaviour reflect seabird phylogeny? Evolution 49: 974-989 (1995)

Paterson, A.M., Gray R.D., and Wallis, G.P. Parasites, petrels and penguins: does louse presence reflect seabird phylogeny? International Journal for Parasitology 23: 515-526 (1993)

Spencer, H.G., Kennedy, M. and Gray, R.D. An observation of aggressive nest defence in the Pitt Island Shag (Stictocarbo featherstoni). Notornis 43: 208-210 (1996)