Alternative spellings: Phaethontes, Phaetontes
Parent taxon: Aves according to G. Mayr and R. P. Scofield 2016
See also Bourdon et al. 2005, Carroll 1988, del Hoyo et al. 2014, Lambrecht 1933, Livezey and Zusi 2007, Olson 1985 and Olson 1985
Sister taxa: Accipitriformes, Alaripeda, Archaeornithipus, Archornithes, Aucornis, Avimimiformes, Avipedidae, Barrosopus, Bucerotiformes, Chaoyangornithidae, Charadriiformes, Climacarthrus, Dolichopterus, Dromiceiidae, Eoaves, Eociconia, Eopteryx, Eucavitaves, Eupterornis remensis, Eurhipidurae, Euryonotus, Falconiformes, Fontinalis, Gansuiformes, Gobioolithidae, Gruipeda, Gyeongsangornipes, Ibidopodia, Ignotornidae, Jeholornis, Jindongornipodidae, Jixiangornis, Koreanaornipodidae, Kuszholiidae, Liaoxiornithidae, Limiavipedidae, Loncornis, Longipennes, Manu, Metornithes, Micropodiformes, Minerva, Mirandornithes, Moguiornipes, Musophagiformes, Mystiornithiformes, Neornithes, Odontoglossae, Odontopterygiformes, Odontornithes, Omnivoropterygiformes, Onychopteryx, Pachycorioolithidae, Palaeoaves, Palaeolestes, Palaeopsittacus, Paludicolae, Pancharadriiformes, Pangalliformes, Panmirandornithes, Pansphenisciformes, Parvoolithus, Patagonichnornis, Paxavipedidae, Platanavis, Plectophora, Praeornithes, Proherodius, Proherodius oweni, Proornis, Protoaviformes, Protopelargus, Protornis, Psittacopasseres, Psittacopedidae, Pygostylia, Qianshanornithidae, Querandiornis, Riacama, Sauriurae, Shandongornipodidae, Shenzhouraptor, Smiliornis, Tantalatos, Tantaleus, Tatarornipes, Telluraves, Telmatoformes, Teracus, Tricorynopus brinkmani, Tridentigerpes, Tshulia, Uhangrichnus, Yacoraitichnus, Yalavis
Subtaxa: Clymenoptilon Phaethontidae Phaethusavis Prophaethontidae
Ecology: ground dwelling carnivore
Distribution:
• Quaternary of Bermuda (1 collection), Cayman Islands (3), Cook Islands (5), French Polynesia (16), the Marshall Islands (1), Mauritius (2), Micronesia (1), Niue (7), Northern Mariana Islands (6), Palau (9), Pitcairn (11), Reunion (2), Saint Helena (5), the Seychelles (2), Solomon Islands (7), Tonga (2)
• Miocene of Belgium (1), United States (1: Maryland)
• Eocene of Belgium (2), Morocco (2), the United Kingdom (2)
• Paleocene of Morocco (2), New Zealand (1), United States (1: Maryland)
Total: 92 collections including 98 occurrences