Data from: Phylogenetic uncertainty and taxonomic re-revisions: an example from the Australian short-necked turtles (Testudines: Chelidae)

Molecular data have greatly influenced our concepts of species and their
relationships in the last few decades, and as a consequence the taxonomy
of most vertebrate clades has been repeatedly revised to reflect
phylogeny. However, as larger and more complete molecular data sets become
available, the sometimes striking disparities between taxonomic revisions
based on individual gene trees (particularly those based on mitochondrial
DNA) and species trees has become increasingly apparent. Here, we present
data from 13 nuclear and one mitochondrial gene. Our results demonstrate
that the recent taxonomic proposal erecting the new Australian chelid
genus Flaviemys (Testudines: Chelidae) was an unnecessary action, and that
recognition of Flaviemys confuses, rather than clarifies, a
phylogeny-based taxonomy of the group. Taxonomic actions have many broad
repercussions, and we recommend that taxonomic changes should be proposed
cautiously and only when they are based on the strongest possible data and
analyses.