Provisional identification of historical grasswren (Amytornis: Maluridae) specimens in European collections draws attention to the incomplete phylogeny of the group

Abstract

The phylogeny and systematics of grasswrens Amytornis species are incompletely resolved, in particular for three widely distributed members of the genus. In part this is a consequence of the dispersal to European and North American collections of early specimens of now extinct populations. We describe three historical grasswren specimens from museums in Berlin and Stockholm, all of which represent taxa for which phylogenetic and / or other data are incomplete. We further identify other specimens that might contribute towards greater resolution of grasswren phylogeny.