The Relationships of the Sharpbill (Oxyruncus cristatus)

The Sharpbill (Oxyruncus cristatus) is a Neotropical suboscine passerine whose affinities have been unclear. The tyrant flycatchers, cotingas, and manakins of the superfamily Tyrannoidea have been suggested as the closest relatives of the Sharpbill. DNA-DNA hybridization comparisons between the radioiodine-labeled single-copy DNA of the Sharpbill and the DNAs of cotingas, manakins, tyrant flycatchers, and representatives of the other Neotropical superfamily, the Furnarioidea, indicate that Oxyruncus is a cotinga. We place it in the subfamily Cotinginae, family Tyrannidae.