Ultraconserved elements support the elevation of a new avian family, Eurocephalidae, the white-crowned shrikes

In this study, we infer genus-level relationships within shrikes (Laniidae), crows (Corvidae), and their allies using ultraconserved elements (UCEs). We confirm previous results of the Crested Shrikejay (Platylophus galericulatus) as comprising its own taxonomic family and find strong support for its sister relationship to laniid shrikes. We also find strong support that the African-endemic genus Eurocephalus, which comprises two allopatric species (E. ruppelli and E. anguitimens), are not "true-shrikes." We propose elevating the white-crowned shrikes to their own family, Eurocephalidae. center dot Understanding how species are related (systematics) and classified (taxonomy) is important to the study of the world's biodiversity.center dot Recent work has raised doubt about the phylogenetic placement of the Crested Shrikejay (Platylophus galericulatus) and Eurocephalus, the white-crowned shrike genus, traditionally considered within the crow and jay family, Corvidae, and the shrike family, Laniidae, respectively.center dot We collected a genome-wide dataset for all genera of shrikes, crows, and jays to determine their evolutionary histories with phylogenetic methods.center dot We confirm that the Crested Shrikejay constitutes a family-level lineage most closely related to Laniidae, not Corvidae. We show for the first time that Eurocephalus also represents a family-level lineage separate from shrikes and more closely related to crows and jays.center dot We propose a new avian family, Eurocephalidae, the white-crowned shrikes, for these two African-endemic birds. Graphical Abstract Dans cette etude, nous inferons les relations a l'echelle du genre chez les Laniidae, les Corvidae et leurs allies a l'aide d'elements ultraconserves (EUC). Nous confirmons les resultats anterieurs concernant Platylophus galericulatus comme constituant sa propre famille taxonomique et nous trouvons un fort soutien de sa relation de s oe ur des Laniidae. Nous trouvons egalement un soutien solide que le genre endemique africain Eurocephalus, qui comprend deux especes allopatriques (E. ruppelli et E. anguitimens), n'est pas compose de << vraies pies-grieches >>. Nous proposons d'elever ces especes au rang de leur propre famille, les Eurocephalidae.