Dr. Joel Cracraft and Kathleen Helm-Bychowski, at the University of Illinois, Chicago are studying the evolutionary relationships of the Australasian birds-of-paradise (Paradisaeidae) to other families of Australasian songbirds. Phylogenetic relationships are assessed by comparisons of mitochondrial DNA sequences between species. The phylogeny is determined by computer analysis, and will be compared with a phylogeny based on anatomical data. The study will provide important evidence about the origin and evolutionary history of the birds-of-paradise, and help us to understand the diversification of the Australasian birds. The phylogenetic study will also help us understand the structure and function of the mitochondrial genes and how they are modified by evolution.
