New research shows that much of bird classification is wrong

[XemaSab]

(excerpt)

In the paper, the scientists report, as expected, that they found genome-wide support for two well-known branches at the base of the avian tree of life: one where tinamous and ratites (that is, kiwis, ostriches, and the like) split off from all other birds, and another where chickens, ducks, and their allies split from Neoaves, the group that contains 95 percent of the bird species on the planet today.

Land birds make up the largest part of Neoaves, and Passeriformes, or perching birds, make up a lion’s share of the land birds. This was expected, too.

What wasn’t expected was an apparent sister relationship between Passeriformes and Psittaciformes (parrots). That’s right, parrots. Just imagine -- songbirds and parrots descending from a common ancestor.

And it gets better.

http://bwfov.typepad.com/birders_world_field_of_vi/2008/06/new-research-shows-that-much-of-bird-classification-is-wrong.html

[panader0]

1. It gets better?

How could it get any better than that?

[Poll_Blind]

2. This means I'm going to have to buy the "White" album again, doesn't it?

PB

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Now I get it, why the kids (three parrots) like MEAT

:-)

Ah who knew, little hawks we have...

[mike_c]

4. it's an awesome paper...

...although I gather some of the revisions have been suggested before. Lots of convergent evolution going on out there, which makes good ecological sense when you consider the uniqueness of the niches most birds occupy (or the uniqueness of the ways they occupy them, whatever).

Of course, they're really just lizards with feathers at the end of the day....

edit-- the smoke out your way was terrible Wednesday and Thursday. I got stuck trying to get over the 299, had to go all the way up to Grants Pass! :-(

[XemaSab]

5. Wasn't so bad yesterday, but Wednesday it was WRONG

We went up to look at the Motion Fire by the dam last night, and it was really something to see 80-foot ponderosas crowning out... You would think a tree of that size would take more than about three minutes to catch, blaze like hell, and die down leaving nothing but a trunk and a few branches, but you'd be wrong. :P

You have a good trip? :shrug:

One of my carpenter bees had a tragedy... all the little bee larvae are outside the hole just lying there. Any idea what could have happened? :shrug:

[eppur_se_muova]

6. More a Science post, but who's to quibble ...

About a year ago, I saw a lecture by one of the researchers involved in the Early Bird project. It was quite memorable, being geared to an audience of intelligent non-specialists. The one thing I remember most clearly from it was a refutation of the notion that many flightless birds are derived from a common ancestor -- in fact, flightlessness has evolved numerous times from flying ancestors, which, in hindsight, makes a lot of sense, particularly in isolated populations with few predators.

The change in our understanding of taxonomic relationships brought about by DNA analysis suggests that the taxonomic classification of fossil species should be taken with even more skepticism than it already is.

[XemaSab]

7. There are all sorts of flightless birds

List of recent flightless birds

The following are flightless birds during or after the Holocene period.

Ratites
Ostrich
Emu
Kangaroo Island Emu (extinct)
King Island Emu (extinct)
Cassowaries
Moa (extinct)
Elephant birds (extinct)
Kiwis
Rheas

Podicipediformes (Grebes)
Junin Flightless Grebe
Titicaca Flightless Grebe
Atitlán Grebe (extinct, reportedly flightless )

Pelicaniformes (Pelicans, Cormorants, et al)
Flightless Cormorant

Sphenisciformes (Penguins)
Penguins

Coraciiformes (Kingfishers, Hornbills, et al)
Giant Hoopoe (extinct)

Anseriformes (Waterfowl)
Moa-nalos (extinct)
Magellanic Flightless Steamer Duck
Falkland Flightless Steamer Duck
White-headed Flightless Steamer Duck
Auckland Island Teal
Campbell Island Teal

Ciconiiformes (Herons, Ibis)
Réunion Sacred Ibis (extinct)

Gruiformes (Cranes, Rails)
Red Rail (extinct)
Rodrigues Rail (extinct)
Woodford's Rail (probably flightless)
Bar-winged Rail (extinct, probably flightless)
Weka
New Caledonian Rail
Lord Howe Woodhen
Calayan Rail
New Britain Rail
Guam Rail
Roviana Rail ("flightless, or nearly so" )
Tahiti Rail (extinct)
Dieffenbach's Rail (extinct)
Chatham Rail (extinct)
Wake Island Rail (extinct)
Snoring Rail
Inaccessible Island Rail
Laysan Rail (extinct)
Hawaiian Rail (extinct)
Kosrae Island Crake (extinct)
Henderson Island Crake
Invisible Rail
New Guinea Flightless Rail
Lord Howe Swamphen (extinct, probably flightless)
North Island Takahe (extinct)
Takahe
Samoan Wood Rail
Makira Wood Rail
Tristan Moorhen (extinct)
Gough Island Moorhen
Adzebills (extinct)
Kagu
Tasmanian Native-hen

Charadriiformes (Gulls, Terns, Auks)
Great Auk (extinct)

Psitticiformes (Parrots)
Kakapo
Broad-billed Parrot (extinct)

Columbiformes (Pigeons, Doves)
Dodo (extinct)
Rodrigues Solitaire (extinct)
Viti Levu Giant Pigeon (extinct)

Caprimulgiformes (Nightjars)
New Zealand Owlet-nightjar (extinct)

Passeriformes (Perching Birds)
Stephens Island Wren (extinct)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flightless_bird