PHYLOGENY OF THE HERMIT HUMMINGBIRDS (TROCHILIDAE, PHAETHORNITHINAE)

A phylogeny of the hummingbirds of the genera Ramphodon, Euroxeres, Gl aucis, Threnetes, and Phaethornis is presented all the basis of extern al morphological characters. All 34 species of hermit hummingbirds are included in this study. Differences in 96 characters were examined wi th regard to their apomorphic (derived) or plesiamorphic (primative) s tates, resulting in evolutionary trees drawn on the basis of cladistic principles. The most important results are: (1) ''Ramphodon'' dohrnii is closer to Glaucis than to Ramphodon; (2) ''Phaethornis'' gounellei is the sister species to nil Phaelhornis and merits reevaluation? as a separate genus, Anopetia; (3) Phaethornis philippii and P, koepckeae are the sister group to P. syrmarophorus, their straight Dill having evolved independently of P, bourcieri; (4) the Phaethornis supercilios us/malaris species group includes P. longirostris as a third species: (5) Phaethornis subochraceus, P. pretrei, and P. augusti share a commo n ancestor, and (6) Phaethornis longuemareus (sensu Peters 1945) is po lyphyletic, being comprised of four seperate species. Due to the lack of synpomorphies, the relationships of some species cannot be reliably determined on the basis of external morphological characters alone.