Antpitta

Antpitta
	Chestnut-naped antpitta(Grallaria nuchalis ruficeps)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Infraorder:	Tyrannides
Parvorder:	Furnariida
Family:	Grallariidae; P.L. SclaterandSalvin[1],1873
Genera
	Grallaria; Cryptopezus; Hylopezus; Myrmothera; Grallaricula;

Grallariidaeis afamilyof smallishsuboscine passerinebirds of subtropical and tropicalCentralandSouth Americaknown asantpittas.They are between 10 and 20 cm (4–8 in) in length, and are related to theantbirds,Thamnophilidae, andgnateaters,Conopophagidae.

The antpittas were formerly placed in the familyFormicariidae.Beginning in 2002 a series of molecular genetic studies found that Formicariidae, as then defined, wasnon-monophyletic.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]In 2008, theAmerican Ornithologists' Unionreorganised the genera to create monophyletic families and moved the antpittas to their own family Grallariidae.^[5]This family now contains 68speciesin one large and four fairly smallgenera.^[6]

These are forest birds that tend to feed at or near the ground since many are specialistanteaters. Most are drab in appearance with shades of (rusty) brown, black, and white being their dominant tones. Compared to other birds that specialize in following ants, this family is the most tied to the ground. The long, powerful legs (which lend the birds a distinctive upright posture) and an essentiallyvestigialtail aid this lifestyle.

Theantpittasare sexually monomorphic; they resemble thetrue pittasin that they are virtually tailless; they hop like somethrushes,and are much easier to hear than see—although their vocalizations may be rather atypical forperching birds.

They lay 1 to 6^[7]eggs in a nest in a tree, both sexes incubating.

Taxonomy

The following cladogram shows the phylogeny of the antipitta family. It is based on a largemolecular phylogeneticstudy of thesuboscinesby Michael Harvey and collaborators that was published in 2020. The three species in the genusMyrmotherawere found to be embedded in the genusHylopezus.^[8]The species are those recognised by theInternational Ornithologists' Union(IOC).^[6]

Grallariidae

Grallaria– 45 species

Cryptopezus– speckle-breasted antpitta

	Grallaricula– 10 species

	Hylopezus– 6 species andMyrmothera– 6 species

Species

Typical antpittas– tribeGrallariini/subfamilyGrallariinae

GenusGrallaria(47 species)

Lesser antpittas– possibly tribeMyrmotherini/subfamilyMyrmotherinae

GenusCryptopezus(1 species)
GenusHylopezus(6 species)
GenusMyrmothera(6 species)
GenusGrallaricula(10 species)

References

^Irestedt, M.; Fjeldså, J.; Johansson, U.S.; Ericson, P.G.P. (2002). "Systematic relationships and biogeography of the tracheophone suboscines (Aves: Passeriformes)".Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.23(3): 499–512.doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00034-9.
^Chesser, R. Terry (2004). "Molecular systematics of New World suboscine birds".Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.32(1): 11–24.doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2003.11.015.
^Rice, Nathan H. (2005)."Phylogenetic relationships of antpitta genera (Passeriformes: Formicariidae)".The Auk.122(2): 673–683.doi:10.1093/auk/122.2.673.
^Rice, Nathan H. (2005)."Further evidence for paraphyly of the Formicariidae (Passeriformes)".The Condor.107(4): 910–915.doi:10.1093/condor/107.4.910.
^Banks, R.C.; Chesser, R.T.; Cicero, C.; Dunn, J.L.; Kratter, A.W.; Lovette, I.J.; Rasmussen, P.C.; Remsen, J.V.; Rising, J.D.; Stotz, D.F.; Winker, K. (2006)."Forty-Ninth Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-List of North American Birds".The Auk.125(3): 758–768.doi:10.1525/auk.2008.9708.
^^a ^bGill, Frank;Donsker, David;Rasmussen, Pamela,eds. (January 2023)."Antthrushes, antpittas, gnateaters, tapaculos, crescentchests".IOC World Bird List Version 13.1.International Ornithologists' Union.Retrieved5 March2023.
^Cornell University (July 31, 2020)."Grallaria Antpittas".
^Harvey, M.G.; et al. (2020). "The evolution of a tropical biodiversity hotspot".Science.370(6522): 1343–1348.doi:10.1126/science.aaz6970.hdl:10138/329703.A high resolution version of the phylogenetic tree in Figure 1 is available from the first author's websitehere.

External links

Media related toGrallariidaeat Wikimedia Commons

[Irestedt-1] Irestedt, M.; Fjeldså, J.; Johansson, U.S.; Ericson, P.G.P. (2002). "Systematic relationships and biogeography of the tracheophone suboscines (Aves: Passeriformes)".Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.23(3): 499–512.doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(02)00034-9.

[2] Chesser, R. Terry (2004). "Molecular systematics of New World suboscine birds".Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution.32(1): 11–24.doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2003.11.015.

[Rice2005a-3] Rice, Nathan H. (2005)."Phylogenetic relationships of antpitta genera (Passeriformes: Formicariidae)".The Auk.122(2): 673–683.doi:10.1093/auk/122.2.673.

[Rice2005b-4] Rice, Nathan H. (2005)."Further evidence for paraphyly of the Formicariidae (Passeriformes)".The Condor.107(4): 910–915.doi:10.1093/condor/107.4.910.

[5] Banks, R.C.; Chesser, R.T.; Cicero, C.; Dunn, J.L.; Kratter, A.W.; Lovette, I.J.; Rasmussen, P.C.; Remsen, J.V.; Rising, J.D.; Stotz, D.F.; Winker, K. (2006)."Forty-Ninth Supplement to the American Ornithologists' Union Check-List of North American Birds".The Auk.125(3): 758–768.doi:10.1525/auk.2008.9708.

[ioc-6] Gill, Frank;Donsker, David;Rasmussen, Pamela,eds. (January 2023)."Antthrushes, antpittas, gnateaters, tapaculos, crescentchests".IOC World Bird List Version 13.1.International Ornithologists' Union.Retrieved5 March2023.

[7] Cornell University (July 31, 2020)."Grallaria Antpittas".

[harvey-8] Harvey, M.G.; et al. (2020). "The evolution of a tropical biodiversity hotspot".Science.370(6522): 1343–1348.doi:10.1126/science.aaz6970.hdl:10138/329703.A high resolution version of the phylogenetic tree in Figure 1 is available from the first author's websitehere.

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