The time is past when a research program in systematics should be based on only a few
genes, extant taxa, and ultrametric trees. Cheap genome sequencing, powerful statistical …

Background With over 3,500 species encompassing a diverse range of morphologies and
ecologies, snakes make up 36% of squamate diversity. Despite several attempts at …

Phylogenomics, the use of large-scale data matrices in phylogenetic analyses, has been
viewed as the ultimate solution to the problem of resolving difficult nodes in the tree of life …

Advances in sequencing technology and phylogenetics have revolutionised avian biology
by providing an evolutionary framework for studying natural grou**s. In the parrots …

Production of massive DNA sequence data sets is transforming phylogenetic inference, but
best practices for analyzing such data sets are not well established. One uncertainty is …

Songbirds (oscine passerines) are the most species-rich and cosmopolitan bird group,
comprising almost half of global avian diversity. Songbirds originated in Australia, but the …

Relative brain sizes in birds can rival those of primates, but large-scale patterns and drivers
of avian brain evolution remain elusive. Here, we explore the evolution of the fundamental …

The diversity of beak shapes among birds is often assumed to be largely the result of
adaptations to different feeding behaviors and diets. However, this assumption has only …

It has long been appreciated that analyses of genomic data (eg, whole genome sequencing
or sequence capture) have the potential to reveal the tree of life, but it remains challenging …

Brood (social) parasites and their hosts exhibit a wide range of adaptations and counter-
adaptations as part of their ongoing coevolutionary arms races. Obligate avian brood …