AVIS-IBIS

Birds of Indian Subcontinent

Systematic relationships of the palaeogene family Presbyornithidae (Aves: Anseriformes)

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:1997
Authors:ERICSON, PERGP
Journal:Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
Volume:121
Issue:4
Date Published:1997
ISBN Number:1096-3642
Keywords:Anatidae, Anhimidae, Anseranatidae, Anseriformes, Aves, Burhinidae, Charadriiformes, Ciconiiformes, Cladistic analysis, fossil birds, Galliformes, Gruiformes, nonpasserines, osteology, Phoenicopteridae, Presbyornis, Presbyornithidae, systematics
Abstract:The early Tertiary (Paleocene and Eocene) family Presbyornithidae is one of the most completely known group of fossil birds. Essentially all parts of the skeleton are represented in the fossil record, allowing a thorough analysis of the phylogenetic position of the family. Forty-two families of nonpasserine birds representing the orders Ciconiiformes, Anseriformes, Galliformes, Gruiformes and Charadriiformes, were included in a cladistic analysis of 71 skeletal characters. The previously suggested anseriform affinity of the Presbyornithidae was confirmed. Furthermore, the family proved to be closer to the Anatidae than to the Anhimidae or Anseranatidae. The many postcranial similarities with certain charadriiform birds as the Burhinidae, obviously are plesiomorphies. By this observation, a better undestanding of character evolution in nonpasserine skeletal morphology is gained. The often suggested close relationship of anseriform and galliform birds is not confirmed by osteology. Instead, the Anseriformes and the Phoenicopteridae form a monophyletic clade that is the sister to the remaining ciconiiform birds. This result renders the Ciconiiformes sensu Wetmore (1960) polyphyletic.
URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1997.tb01286.x
Short Title:Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society
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