Mareca Explained

Mareca is a genus or subgenus of ducks in the family Anatidae that includes the wigeons.

The species now placed in this genus were formerly placed in the genus Anas. A molecular phylogentic study comparing mitochondrial DNA sequences published in 2009 found that the genus Anas, as then defined, was not monophyletic.^[1] Based on the published phylogeny, the genus Anas was split into four monophyletic genera with five extant species moved into the resurrected genus Mareca.^[2]

The genus Mareca was introduced by English naturalist James Francis Stephens in 1824. The type species is the Eurasian wigeon.^{[3] [4]} The name of the genus is from the Portuguese word Marreco for a small duck.^[5]

Extant species

The genus Mareca contains these species:^[2]

Phylogeny

Cladogram based on the analysis of Gonzalez and colleagues published in 2009.^[1]

Notes and References

1. Gonzalez . J. . Düttmann . H. . Wink . M. . 2009 . Phylogenetic relationships based on two mitochondrial genes and hybridization patterns in Anatidae . Journal of Zoology . 279 . 3 . 310–318 . 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2009.00622.x .
2. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . 2017 . Screamers, ducks, geese & swans . World Bird List Version 7.3 . International Ornithologists' Union . 23 July 2017 .
3. Book: Stephens, James Francis . James Francis Stephens . 1824 . General zoology, or Systematic natural history, by the late George Shaw . 12 Part 2 . London . Printed for G. Kearsley . 130 .
4. Book: Mayr . Ernst . Ernst Mayr . Cottrell . G. William . 1979 . Check-list of Birds of the World . 1 . 2nd . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 460 .
5. Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 241 .