Origin, Speciation and Classification

Fossil HistoryAmong other Mesozoic reptiles that have been suggested as possible ancestors to the birds areThe ptesaurus or pterodactyls, bouyant, flying forms that, of necessity for flight, had many avian featuresThe Saurischia (reptile-pelvis), which included some light bodied, fleet footed forms like Struthiomimus (ostrich-mimic)The Ornithischia (bird-pelvis), which included bipedal runners like the duct-billed dinosaurus

Fossil BirdsUnfortunately, bird remains are not as well represented among known fossils as the reptiles and mammals, because of their delicate structure, do not fossilize readily, and the living habits of bird are not conductive to preservation of specimen.Archaeopteryx was a medium-sized bird about the size of a pigeon but with long lizardlike tail with lateral tail feathers, an arrangement unlike that of any modern bird.

Kanan atas fosil sejenisburung gagak Corvus spBerasal dari lapisanUpper Oligocene, Cereste, France

Kanan bawah fosilBurung Confuciusornissanctus berasal darilapisan Upper Jurassic/Lower CretaceousYixian,China

SpeciationA species is any plant or animal distinguishable from other plants or animals.

The Taxonomic Categories Biologists have a propensity for classifying things; hence, they have attempted to orrange all plants and animals in an orderly sequence based on apparent kinship by grouping them into categories such as species, genera, families, orders, classes, and phyla.

The Taxonomic Categories

NomenclatureGiving names to things is called nomenclature, as opposed to taxonomy or systematics (terms used more or less interchangeably), which is the study or science of classification and our attempt to orrange groups in a true phylogenetic sequance.The trinomial (subspecies designation) has to be added.

NomenclatureThe scientific name of a bird consists of the generic name, capitalized and put in italics (or underlined in script), followed by the species name and then the subspecies, if there are subspecies.FamiliesAn additional 41 fossil families have been listed by Wetmore (1960), a number that will be considerably augmented when Brodkorbs Catalogue of Fossil Birds is complete.

Family names of birds, as in all animal families, end in idae. (Similarly, subfamily names end in inae and superfamilies in oidea.

OrdersAmerican classifications, following Wetmore (1960) and Peters check-list of Birds of the World (1931-1972), divide the class Aves into about 27 orders of living birds, with about 6 others known only from extinct or fossil forms. Some Europeans, however, notably Stresemann (1959), use smaller ordinal units and recognize 51. of the 27 orders used here, 20 are represented in North America.

Three of these barely reach our borders (oceanic or tropical), so that most states have representatives of 17.Ordinal names of birds (in this country) end in formes.

Orders and Familie of Living Birds1. Sphenisciformes, penguin1. Spheniscidae2. Struthioniformes, Ostriches1. Struthhionidae3. Rheiformes, Rheas1. Rheidae4. Casuariiformes, 1. Casuariidae, Cassowaries2. Dromiceidae, Emus5. Apterygiformes, Kiwis1. Apterygidae

Tinamiformes, tinamous1. TinamidaeGaviiformes, Loons1. GaviidaePodicipediformes, GrebesPodicipedidae9. Procellariiformes. Tube-nose Swimmers1. Diomeideidae2. Procellariidae3. Hydrobatidae4. Pelecanoididae

PELECANIFORMES. Totipalmate Swimmers1. Phaethontidae2. Pelecanidae3. Sulidae4. Phalacrocoraidae5. Anhingidae6. Fregatidae

CICONIIFORMES (Ardeiformes of some authors). Long legged Waders1. Ardeidae2. Ciconiidae3. Threskiornithidae4. PhoenicopteridaeANSERIFORMES, Screamers, Waterfowl1. Anhimidae2. Anatidae, ducks, geese, swans

FALCONIFORMES. Diurnal birds of prey1. Cathartidae2. Sagittariidae3. Acciptridae4. Pandionidae5. Falconidae

GALLIFORMES1. Megapidiidae2. Cracidae3. Tetraonidae4. Phasianidae5. Numididae6. Meleagrididae7. Opisthocomidae

15. GRUIFORMES1. Gruidae2. Aramidae3. Rallidae16. CHARADRIIFORMES1. Jacanidae2. Charadriidae3. Scolopacidae4. Recurvirostridae5. Phalaropodidae6. Laridae

17. COLUMBIFORMES. Pigeonlike birds.1. Columbidae18. PSITTACIFORMES,Parrots, lories, macaws1. Psittacidae19. CUCULIFORMES, Plantain-eaters, Cuckoos1. Musophagidae2. Cuculidae20. STIRIGIFORMES, Owls.1. Tytonidae2. Strigidae

21. CAPRIMULGIFORMES, Goatsuckers and allies1. Caprimulgidae22. APODIFORMES, Swifts, Hummingbirds.1. Apodidae, Swifts.2. Trochilidae23. COLIIFORMES, Colies (Mouse-birds)24. TROGONIFORMES, Trogons.1. Trogonidae

25. CORACIIFORMES, Kingfishers.1. Alcedinidae2. Todidae3. Momotidae4. Coraciidae5. Upupidae, Hoopoes.6. Bucerotidae, Hornbills.

26. PICIFORMES, Woodpeckers.1. Capitonidae3. Picidae2. Indicatoridae27. PASSERIFORMES, Perching Birds1. Hirundinidae6. Turdidae2. Dicruridae7. Sylviidae3. Oriolidae8. Sturnidae4. Corvidae9. Nectariniidae5. Mimidae10. Ploceidae11. Fringillidae