Patagioenas


Patagioenas is a genus of New World pigeons whose distinctness from the genus Columba was long disputed but ultimately confirmed. It is basal to the Columba — Streptopelia radiation with their ancestors diverging from that lineage likely over 8 million years ago. While the biogeographic pattern of this group suggests that the ancestors of typical pigeons and turtle doves settled the Old World from the Americas, Patagioenas may also be the offspring of Old World pigeons that radiated into different genera later, given that the cuckoo-doves of Southeast Asia also seem to be closely related.

Taxonomy

The genus Patagioenas was introduced by German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach in 1853, with the white-crowned pigeon as the type species. The genus name combines the Ancient Greek patageō meaning "to clatter" and oinas meaning "pigeon".
There are 17 species of Patagioenas, which can be assigned to four groups based on mtDNA cytochrome b, cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2, as well as the nuclear β-fibrinogen intron 7 data combined with analyses of vocalizations and morphology. They could be considered subgenera, but one remains unnamed so they are only informally listed here:
caribaea group : Characterized by tails with terminal bands and iridescent neck; rows of low single coos. Apparently the most basal group.
leucocephala group : Characterized by iridescent neck and dark plumage, or white edged outer wing coverts, or scaly appearance; groups of triple coos with the first call in each drawn out except in speciosa
cayennensis group: No display plumage except iridescent head in cayennensis; groups of double or triple coos with the first call in each short
plumbea group : Small size, plain plumage, rounded tails, small bills, phrase composed of high single coos