Four new avian mitochondrial genomes help get to basic evolutionary questions in the late Cretaceous
Good phylogenetic trees are required to test hypotheses about evolutionary processes. We report four new avian mitochondrial genomes, which together with an improved method of phylogenetic analysis for vertebrate mt genomes give results for three questions in avian evolution. The new nit genomes are: magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata), ail owl (morepork, Ninox novaeseelandiae); a basal passerine