Neognaths Fossil range: Late Cretaceous - Present
Male Mandarin Duck, Aix galericulata (Galloanserae: Anseriformes: Anatidae)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Aves Subclass: Neornithes Infraclass: Neognathae
Superorders
Galloanserae Neoaves

Neognaths (Neognathae) are birds that within the subclass Neornithes of the class Aves. Late Cretaceous (100mya - 65mya refers to the second half of the Cretaceous Period, named after the famous white Chalk cliffs of southern England The Mandarin Duck ( Aix galericulata) or just Mandarin, is a medium-sized Perching duck, closely related to the North American Wood Duck Most or all Birds collectively referred to as fowl belong to one of two orders namely the gamefowl or landfowl ( Galliformes) and the waterfowl The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living Species of Birds in three extant families the Anhimidae (the screamers Anseranatidae Chordates ( Phylum Chordata) are a group of Animals that includes the Vertebrates together with several closely related Invertebrates Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Modern birds (subclass Neornithes) are the members of class Aves that have survived into recent times and have coexisted with Humans Modern birds are This article is about the taxonomic rank for the sequence of species in a taxonomic list see Taxonomic order In scientific classification used Most or all Birds collectively referred to as fowl belong to one of two orders namely the gamefowl or landfowl ( Galliformes) and the waterfowl Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Modern birds (subclass Neornithes) are the members of class Aves that have survived into recent times and have coexisted with Humans Modern birds are A class is the Taxonomic rank in the Biological classification of organisms in Biology below phylum and above order. Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. The Neognathae include virtually all living birds; their sister taxon Paleognathae contains the tinamous - their only order capable of flight - as well as the flightless ratites. Cladistics is the hierarchical classification of Species based on evolutionary ancestry The Paleognathae or paleognaths ("old jaws" are one of the two living Superorders of Birds The other living superorder is Neognathae The tinamous are one of the most ancient groups of Bird, members of a South American Bird family of about 47 species in 9 genera A ratite is any of a diverse group of large Flightless birds of Gondwanan origin most of them now extinct

There are nearly 10,000 species of neognaths. In Biology, a species is one of the basic units of Biological classification and a Taxonomic rank. Since the late Cretaceous from where the earliest fossils are known, they have undergone adaptive radiation to produce the staggering diversity of form (especially of the bill and feet), function, and behavior that we see today. The Cretaceous (kriːˈteɪʃəs, usually abbreviated 'K' for its German translation "Kreide" is a geologic period and system, reaching from the end of FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. The Passeriformes (perching birds) are the largest order of land vertebrates, containing some 60% of living birds and being more than twice as diverse as rodents and about 5 times as diverse as Chiroptera (bats and flying foxes) which are the largest order of mammals. Rodentia is an order of Mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously-growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands On the other hand, there are some very small orders, usually birds of very unclear relationships like the puzzling Hoatzin. The Hoatzin ( Opisthocomus hoazin) also known as the Hoactzin, Stinkbird, or Canje "Pheasant", is an unusual species

The neognaths have fused metacarpals, an elongate third finger, and 13 or fewer vertebrae. The metacarpus is the intermediate part of the Hand Skeleton that is located between the Phalanges (bones of the fingers Distally and the A vertebra (plural vertebrae) is an individual Irregular bone in the spinal or Vertebral column ( aka ischis a flexuous and flexible column They differ from the Paleognathae in features like the structure of their jawsbones. "Neognathae" means "new jaws", but ironically it seems that the supposedly "more ancient" paleognath jaws are among the few apomorphic ("more advanced") features of this group as compared to the neognaths. Cladistics is the hierarchical classification of Species based on evolutionary ancestry

Taxonomy and systematics

The Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus), despite its looks, belongs to the closest living relatives of flamingos. The Great Crested Grebe, Podiceps cristatus is a member of the Grebe family of water birds Flamingos or flamingoes ( are gregarious Wading birds in the Genus Phoenicopterus and family

For long the Neognathae were ranked as a superorder and not subdivided any further, because no attempt to do so - for example in the Conspectus of Charles Lucien Bonaparte - were never accepted even by a significant majority of ornithologists. Taxonomic rank ( rank, category, taxonomic category is an abstract term used in the Scientific classification, or Taxonomy, of organisms This article is about the taxonomic rank for the sequence of species in a taxonomic list see Taxonomic order In scientific classification used Charles Lucien (Carlo Jules Laurent Bonaparte 2nd Prince of Canino and Musignano ( May 24, 1803 &ndash July 29, 1857) was a French Ornithology (from Greek ὄρνις ὄρνιθος ornis, ornithos, "bird" and λόγος logos, "knowledge" is the branch of Indeed, until the 1980s there was little subdivision of the Aves in general, and even less of phylogenetic merit. Since then, the availability of massive amounts of new data from fossils - especially Enantiornithes and other Mesozoic birds - as well as from molecular (DNA and protein) sequences has allowed to refine the classification. FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. Enantiornithes is an extinct group of primitive Birds They were the most abundant and diverse avialans of the Mesozoic. The Mesozoic Era is one of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. Deoxyribonucleic acid ( DNA) is a Nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known Proteins are large Organic compounds made of Amino acids arranged in a linear chain and joined together by Peptide bonds between the Carboxyl With new groups of neognath orders being verified, the taxonomic rank of the group needed to shift. In fact, most researchers have by now employed the unranked taxa of phylogenetic nomenclature. A taxon (plural taxa) or taxonomic unit, is a name designating an organism or a group of Organisms In Biological nomenclature according to Phylogenetic nomenclature (PN is an alternative to rank-based nomenclature. ^[1]

Domestic chicken belong to the fowl clade, Galloanserae. The chicken ( Gallus gallus, sometimes G gallus domesticus) is a domesticated Fowl which is traditionally believed to have descended from Most or all Birds collectively referred to as fowl belong to one of two orders namely the gamefowl or landfowl ( Galliformes) and the waterfowl

Pacific Golden Plover (Pluvialis fulva), part of the diverse and ancient Charadriiformes. The Pacific Golden Plover ( Pluvialis fulva) is a medium-sized Plover. Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large Birds It includes about 350 Species and has members in all parts of the world

The Red-legged Crake (Rallina fasciata) belongs to the Gruiformes - unlike several other birds usually placed there. The Red-legged Crake ( Rallina fasciata) is a waterbird in the rail and crake family Rallidae. The diverse order Gruiformes contains a considerable number of living and extinct Bird families with on first sight little in common

Black Kites (Milvus migrans) like other accipitrids have peculiar chromosomes. The Black Kite ( Milvus migrans) is a medium-sized Bird of prey in the family Accipitridae which also includes many other diurnal raptors The Accipitridae is one of the two major families within the order Falconiformes (the diurnal birds of prey) A chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and Protein that is found in cells. This has much confounded molecular phylogeny.

Male Red Bird of Paradise (Paradisaea rubra) - a spectacular passerine. The Red Bird of Paradise, Paradisaea rubra is a large up to 33cm long brown and yellow Bird of paradise with a dark brown iris, grey legs and yellow

The Neognathae are universally accepted to subdivide into two lineages - the "fowl" clade Galloanseres and the Neoaves (sometimes called "higher neognaths"). Most or all Birds collectively referred to as fowl belong to one of two orders namely the gamefowl or landfowl ( Galliformes) and the waterfowl The subdivisions of the latter are still not well resolved, but several monophyletic lineages have been proposed, such as the Mirandornithes, Cypselomorphae or Metaves and Coronaves. A clade is a taxonomic group comprising a single Common ancestor and all the descendants of that ancestor Cypselomorphae is a Clade of Birds It includes the living families and orders Caprimulgidae (nightjars nighthawks and allies While groups such as the former two - uniting a few closely-related orders - are robustly supported, this cannot be said for the Metaves-Coronaves division for which there is no material evidence at present while the Mesozoic record of Neognathae is at present utterly devoid of birds that would have to be present if these proposed clades were real. The Mesozoic Era is one of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon. ^[2]

Taxonomic note:
The ranks used here are rarely employed in the literature. The ultimate reason is a limitation in the Wikipedia taxobox code, which does not allow for an arbitrary number of "unranked" taxa to be displayed. As the taxa used here have all been validly described and neither the ICZN nor any other authority regulates their employment, the present ranking is as valid as any other - perhaps even more - and given the technical limitations the only system that can currently be used within the scope of Wikipedia. "ICZN" redirects here It is also sometimes used for the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature in error More commonly found is the old placement as a superorder - but such systematic treatments need to be viewed with caution, as they often do not even incorporate the Galloanserae - or as unranked clade. Most or all Birds collectively referred to as fowl belong to one of two orders namely the gamefowl or landfowl ( Galliformes) and the waterfowl A clade is a taxonomic group comprising a single Common ancestor and all the descendants of that ancestor

Systematics

The orders are arranged in a sequence that attempts to follow the modern view on neognath phylogeny. It differs from the widely-used Clements taxonomy as well as from the Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy, combining those elements from each that more modern research agrees with while updating those that are refuted. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World is a book by Jim Clements which presents a list of the bird species of the world The Sibley-Ahlquist taxonomy is a radical bird Taxonomy proposed by Charles Sibley and Jon Edward Ahlquist. The result is at least a much better representation of the true evolutionary relationships of neognath orders. Most of the changes affect those "higher landbirds" that are sometimes united as near passerines. Near passerine or higher land-bird assemblage are terms often given to Arboreal Birds or those most often believed to be related to the true Passerines ^[3]

• Superorder Galloanserae - fowl
  • Anseriformes - waterfowl
  • Galliformes - wildfowl/landfowl
  • Gastornithiformes - diatrymas (fossil)
• Superorder Neoaves
  • Charadriiformes - shorebirds/waders and allies
  • Pteroclidiformes - sandgrouse
  • Phoenicopteriformes - flamingos
  • Podicipediformes - grebes
  • N. Most or all Birds collectively referred to as fowl belong to one of two orders namely the gamefowl or landfowl ( Galliformes) and the waterfowl The order Anseriformes contains about 150 living Species of Birds in three extant families the Anhimidae (the screamers Anseranatidae Galliformes are an order of Birds containing turkeys, Grouse, Chickens Quails and Pheasants More than 250 Gastornithiformes are an order of prehistoric Birds The birds from this group lived from the Paleocene to the Eocene and were spread out across Asia FOSSIL is a standard protocol for allowing serial communication for Telecommunications programs under the DOS Operating system. Charadriiformes is a diverse order of small to medium-large Birds It includes about 350 Species and has members in all parts of the world Sandgrouse is also the name of the journal of the Ornithological Society of the Middle East - see Sandgrouse (journal The sandgrouse are a Flamingos or flamingoes ( are gregarious Wading birds in the Genus Phoenicopterus and family Grebes are members of the Podicipediformes order, a widely distributed order of freshwater diving birds some of which visit the sea when migrating N. - tropicbirds
  • Gaviiformes - loons/divers
  • Procellariiformes - tubenoses (paraphyletic?)
  • Sphenisciformes - penguins
  • Pelecaniformes - pelicans and allies (paraphyletic)
  • Ciconiiformes - storks and allies
  • Gruiformes - cranes and allies (paraphyletic)
  • Falconiformes - diurnal raptors
  • Columbiformes - doves and pigeons
  • Strigiformes - owls
  • Caprimulgiformes - nightjars and allies
  • Aegotheliformes - owlet-nightjars
  • Apodiformes - swifts and hummingbirds
  • Opisthocomiformes - Hoatzin
  • Cuculiformes - cuckoos
  • Psittaciformes - parrots, parakeets and cockatoos
  • Coliiformes - mousebirds
  • Trogoniformes - trogons
  • Coraciiformes - rollers and allies
  • Piciformes - woodpeckers and allies
  • Passeriformes - passerines/perching birds

See also

• Coronaves
• Cypselomorphae
• Daedalornithes
• Metaves
• Mirandornithes
• Near passerine

References

1. ^ Mindell & Brown (2005)
2. ^ For a draft phylogeny of Neoaves that is based on a review of massive amounts of published sources and probably rather close to "the real thing", see Mindell et al. Tropicbirds are a family, Phaethontidae, of tropical pelagic Seabirds There are three species in one Genus Phaethon The loons (eg North America or divers (eg UK/Ireland are a group of aquatic birds found in many parts of North America and northern Eurasia Procellariiformes is an order of Seabirds that comprises four families: the Albatrosses procellariids, Storm-petrels and Diving In Phylogenetics, a group of organisms is said to be paraphyletic if the group contains its most recent common ancestor but does not contain all Penguins ( order Sphenisciformes, family Spheniscidae) are a group of aquatic, flightless Birds living almost The Pelecaniformes are an order of medium-sized and large waterbirds found worldwide Traditionally the order Ciconiiformes has included a variety of large long-legged wading birds with large bills Storks Herons Egrets The diverse order Gruiformes contains a considerable number of living and extinct Bird families with on first sight little in common The order Falconiformes is a group of about 290 Species of Birds that include the diurnal birds of prey. The Bird order Columbiformes includes the very widespread and successful Doves and pigeons, classified in the family Columbidae and the The Owls are an order of birds of prey. Most are Solitary, and nocturnal, with some exceptions (e The Caprimulgiformes is an order of Birds that includes a number of Birds with global distribution (except Antarctica) Owlet-nightjars are small Nocturnal Birds related to the Nightjars and Frogmouths Most are native to New Guinea, but some species The Hoatzin ( Opisthocomus hoazin) also known as the Hoactzin, Stinkbird, or Canje "Pheasant", is an unusual species The Near passerine Bird order Cuculiformes traditionally included three families as below Musophagidae - turacos and allies Parrots are birds of the roughly 350 Species in 85 genera comprising the order Psittaciformes, found in most warm and tropical regions The mousebirds are a small group of (possibly Near passerine) Birds which have no real close affinities to other groups though they and the parrots and cockatoos The trogons and quetzals are Birds in the order Trogoniformes which contains only one family the Trogonidae. The Coraciiformes are a group of usually colourful Near passerine Birds including the Kingfishers the Hoopoe, the Bee-eaters the Six families of largely arboreal Birds make up the order Piciformes, the best-known of them being the Picidae which includes the Woodpeckers Cypselomorphae is a Clade of Birds It includes the living families and orders Caprimulgidae (nightjars nighthawks and allies Near passerine or higher land-bird assemblage are terms often given to Arboreal Birds or those most often believed to be related to the true Passerines (2005)
3. ^ Mindell et al. (2005)

• Mindell, David P. & Brown, Joseph W. (2005): The Tree of Life Web Project - Neornithes. Version of 2005-DEC-14. Retrieved 2008-JAN-08.
• Mindell, David P. ; Brown, Joseph W. & Harshman, John (2005): The Tree of Life Web Project - Neoaves. Version of 2005-DEC-14. Retrieved 2008-JAN-08.