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To examine the history of diversification of ‘blue’ cardinalids (Cardinalidae) across North and South America.

North America (including Middle America) and South America.

We collected 163 individuals of the 14 species of blue cardinalids and generated multilocus sequence data (3193 base pairs from one mitochondrial and three nuclear genes) to infer phylogeographical structure and reconstruct time‐calibrated species trees. We then estimated the ancestral range at each divergence event and tested for temporal shifts in diversification rate.

Twenty‐five lineages of blue cardinalids clustered into two major clades: one confined to North America, and a second concentrated in South America. Blue cardinalids probably originated in North America, but reconstructions were influenced by how migrant taxa were assigned to biogeographical regions. Most of the pre‐Pleistocene …