What makes the genus *Chrysothlypis* notable in avian classification history?

Answer

Genetic work helped solidify its placement within the true tanagers (*Thraupidae*) after initial classification ambiguity.

The genus *Chrysothlypis*, which houses the Black-and-Yellow Tanager, is notable because its placement underwent refinement due to modern genetic investigations into a group historically defined loosely as 'tanagers.' For a long time, the term 'tanager' acted as a convenient grouping for numerous colorful New World passerines, a grouping that molecular studies have since shown is not strictly monophyletic, meaning not all members share an exclusive common ancestor. While some related species were moved out, even into families like Cardinalidae, the genetic work specifically helped to solidify the *Chrysothlypis* lineage, confirming its position within the core *Thraupidae* family. This process illustrates the ongoing evolutionary story of taxonomy, where deep genetic divergence is finally being accurately mapped, resolving earlier reliance on potentially misleading superficial morphological similarities.

What makes the genus *Chrysothlypis* notable in avian classification history?

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