MERULAXINI

Maurício, Giovanni Nachtigall, Areta, Juan Ignacio, Bornschein, Marcos Ricardo & Reis, Roberto E., 2012, Morphology-based phylogenetic analysis and classification of the family Rhinocryptidae (Aves: Passeriformes), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 166 (2), pp. 377-432 : 413-414

TRIBE MERULAXINI , NEW TAXON

Type genus: Merulaxis Lesson, 1831 . Included genera: Eleoscytalopus and Merulaxis .

Diagnosis.

Exclusive changes:

Char. 67.2, Cranial portion of the Processus vocalis ventrally and then cranially oriented.

Char. 69.1, Processus vocalis with a dorsal projection in the caudal portion.

Char. 74.1, A 3– A 5 elements dorsally reduced, with a further change (74.2) in Merulaxis .

Char. 75.1, Cartilaginous protuberance present in the ventral surface of the syrinx between A 2 and A 6 elements.

Non-exclusive changes:

Char. 4.1, Non-pneumatized maxilla; convergent in the clade formed by Scelorchilus , Pteroptochos , Eugralla , Myornis , and Scytalopus and in the outgroup genus Melanopareia .

Char. 29.3, Interorbital septum covering about onequarter of the interorbital space, with only vestiges of an osseous beam in the caudal portion; convergent in the clade Scelorchilus + Pteroptochos + Eugralla + Myornis + Scytalopus .

Char. 68.1, Cranial portion of the Processus vocalis with a soft consistency; convergent in the outgroup genus Conopophaga .

Char. 83.0, Lateral surface of lower trachea/syrinx with no intrinsic musculature; also found in the outgroup genera Conopophaga , Melanopareia , Sclateria , Myrmotherula , and Mackenziaena .

Bremer support for this clade: 6.

Genus Merulaxis Lesson, 1831 (type species: Merulaxis ater Lesson, 1831 )

Included species: Merulaxis ater Lesson, 1831 and M. stresemanni Sick, 1960 .

Diagnosis.

Exclusive change:

Char. 74.2, A3 element dorsally vestigial and A4 and A5 elements dorsally absent.

Bremer support for this clade: 1.

Genus Eleoscytalopus Maurício, Mata, Bornschein, Cadena, Alvarenga and Bonatto, 2008 (type species: Myiothera indigotica Wied, 1831 ). Included species: Eleoscytalopus indigoticus (Wied, 1831) and E. psychopompus (Teixeira and Carnevali, 1989) . Diagnosis. Exclusive change: Char. 70.1, Processus vocalis with a rectangular ossified plate. Bremer support for this clade: 1.