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Palaeognathae
Taxonomy
Palaeognathae was named by Pycraft (1900). It is extant.
It was reranked as the superorder Palaeognathae by Mayr (2009); it was reranked as the unranked clade Palaeognathae by Mayr (2022).
It was assigned to Neornithes by Kurochkin (2000); to Neornithes by Carroll (1988), Meyer and Zardoya (2003); to Aves by Clarke et al. (2005); to Aves by Nesbitt and Clarke (2016); and to Neornithes by Slack et al. (2006), Lindow and Dyke (2006), Livezey and Zusi (2007), Mayr (2009), Mayr (2022).
It was reranked as the superorder Palaeognathae by Mayr (2009); it was reranked as the unranked clade Palaeognathae by Mayr (2022).
It was assigned to Neornithes by Kurochkin (2000); to Neornithes by Carroll (1988), Meyer and Zardoya (2003); to Aves by Clarke et al. (2005); to Aves by Nesbitt and Clarke (2016); and to Neornithes by Slack et al. (2006), Lindow and Dyke (2006), Livezey and Zusi (2007), Mayr (2009), Mayr (2022).
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1900 | Palaeognathae Pycraft |
| 1988 | Palaeognathae Carroll |
| 2000 | Palaeognathae Kurochkin p. 547 |
| 2003 | Palaeognathae Meyer and Zardoya |
| 2005 | Palaeognathae Clarke et al. p. 307 |
| 2006 | Palaeognathae Lindow and Dyke p. 485 |
| 2006 | Palaeognathae Slack et al. p. 1150 |
| 2007 | Palaeognathae Livezey and Zusi p. 89 |
| 2009 | Palaeognathae Mayr p. 14 figs. Figure 3.1 |
| 2016 | Palaeognathae Nesbitt and Clarke |
| 2022 | Palaeognathae Mayr p. 29 |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
Superor. Palaeognathae Pycraft 1900
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Or. †Aepyornithiformes
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Fm. †Aepyornithidae Bonaparte 1853 [elephant bird]
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G. †Aepyornis Geoffroy 1850
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†Aepyornis hildebrandti Burckhardt 1893
†Aepyornis maximus Geoffroy Saint Hilaire 1850
†Aepyornis medius Milne-Edwards and Grandidier 1869
G. †Mullerornis Milne-Edwards and Grandidier 1894
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†Mullerornis agilis Milne-Edwards and Grandidier 1894
†Mullerornis betsilei Milne-Edwards and Grandidier 1894
†Mullerornis rudis Milne-Edwards and Grandidier 1894
Unr. Crypturi Goodchild
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Superor. Dromaeomorphae
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Or. Tinamiformes Huxley 1872 [tinamou]
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Fm. Tinamidae Gray 1840 [tinamou]
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G. Crypturellus Brabourne and Chubb 1914
G. Eudromia Geoffroy 1832
G. Nothocercus Bonaparte 1856
G. Nothoprocta Sclater and Salvin 1873
G. Nothura Wagler 1827
G. Rhynchotus Spix 1825
G. †Roveretornis Brodkorb 1961 [tinamou]
G. Taoniscus Gloger 1842
G. †Tinamisornis Rovereto 1914
G. Tinamotis Vigors 1837
Fm. †Eremopezidae Rothschild 1911
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Fm. †Lithornithidae Houde 1988
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G. †Lithornis Owen 1840
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†Lithornis celetius Houde 1988
†Lithornis hookeri Harrison 1984
†Lithornis nasi Harrison 1984
†Lithornis plebius Houde 1988
†Lithornis promiscuus Houde 1988
†Lithornis vulturinus Owen 1840
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Invalid names: Pediorallus barbarae Harrison and Walker 1977 [synonym], Promusophaga magnifica Harrison and Walker 1977 [synonym]
Fm. Medioolithidae Kohring and Hirsch 1996
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Or. †Palaeocursornithiformes Kessler and Jurcsák 1986
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Fm. †Palaeocursornithidae Jurcsák and Kessler 1988
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Invalid names: Cursornithidae Kessler and Jurcsák 1985 [replaced], Limnornithidae Kessler and Jurcsák 1984 [replaced]
Invalid names: Cursornithiformes Jurcsák and Kessler 1985 [replaced], Limnornithiformes Kessler and Jurcsák 1984 [replaced]
Or. †Patagopterygiformes Alvarenga and Bonaparte 1992
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Invalid names: Patagopterygidae Alvarenga and Bonaparte 1992 [empty]
Unr. Ratitae Merrem 1813
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Superor. Apterygimorphae
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Or. Apterygiformes [kiwi]
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Fm. Apterygidae Gray 1840
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G. Apteryx Huxley 1867 [kiwi]
G. †Metapteryx De Vis 1892
G. †Proapteryx Worthy et al. 2013
G. †Pseudapteryx Lydekker 1891
Or. †Dinornithiformes
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Fm. †Dinornithidae Bonaparte 1853
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G. †Dinornis Owen 1843
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Invalid names: Moa Reichenbach 1852 [synonym], Palapteryx Owen 1848 [synonym], Tylopteryx Hutton 1892 [synonym]
Fm. †Emeidae
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G. †Anomalopteryx Reichenbach 1853
G. †Emeus Riechenbach 1852
G. †Pachyornis Lydekker 1891
Invalid names: Anomalopterygidae [synonym]
Superor. Casuariimorphae Livezey and Zusi 2007
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Invalid names: Struthiones [empty], Struthionimorphae Livezey and Zusi 2007 [empty]
Or. Rheiformes
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Fm. Rheidae Bonaparte 1849 [rhea]
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G. †Opisthodactylus Ameghino 1891
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†Opisthodactylus horacioperezi Agnolin and Chafrat 2015
†Opisthodactylus kirchneri Noriega et al. 2017
†Opisthodactylus patagonicus Ameghino 1891
G. Rhea Brisson 1760
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Rhea americana Linnaeus 1758 [greater rhea]
†Rhea fossilis Moreno and Mercerat 1891
†Rhea nana Lydekker 1894
†Rhea pampeana Moreno and Mercerat 1891
Rhea pennata d'Orbigny 1834 [lesser rhea]
†Rhea subpampeana Moreno and Mercerat 1891
Rhea tarapacensis Chubb 1913 [Puna rhea]
Invalid names: Pterocnemia Gray 1870 [synonym]
Or. Struthioniformes Latham 1790
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Fm. †Eleutherornithidae Wetmore 1951
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Fm. †Ergilornithidae Kozlova 1960
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G. †Amphipelargus Lydekker 1891
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†Amphipelargus majori Lydekker 1891
Invalid names: Urmiornis Mecquenem 1908 [synonym]
G. †Ergilornis Kozlova 1960
G. †Proergilornis Kozlova 1960
Fm. †Palaeotididae Houde and Haubold 1987
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Fm. Struthionidae Vigors 1825 [ostrich]
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G. Struthio Linnaeus 1758 [ostrich]
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†Struthio anderssoni Lowe 1831
†Struthio asiaticus Milne-Edwards 1871 [Asian ostrich]
†Struthio barbarus Arambourg 1979
†Struthio bradydactylus Burchak-Abramovich 1939
Struthio camelus Linnaeus 1758 [common ostrich]
Struthio camelus australis Gurney 1868
†Struthio chersonensis Brant 1873
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Invalid names: Palaeostruthio sternatus Burčak-Abramovič 1953 [synonym], Struthio novorossicus Alexejev 1916 [synonym], Struthio orlovi Kurochkin and Lungu 1970 [synonym], Struthiolithus adzalycensis Roščin 1962 [synonym], Struthiolithus alexejevi Roščin 1962 [synonym]
†Struthio coppensi Mourer-Chauviré et al. 1996
†Struthio karatheodoris Forsyth Major 1888
†Struthio linxiaensis Hou et al. 2005
Struthio molybdophanes Reichenow 1883 [Somali ostrich]
†Struthio mongolicus Lowe 1931
†Struthio wimani Lowe 1931
Invalid names: Pachystruthio Kretzoi 1954 [synonym], Palaeostruthio Burčak-Abramovič 1953 [synonym], Struthiolithus Brant 1873 [synonym]
Invalid names: Lithornidae [empty], Remiornithiformes Martin 1992 [empty]
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: subo = suborder, o = order | |||||
| References: Marsh 1875, Benton 1983 | |||||
Age range
Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Early/Lower Maastrichtian to the top of the Holocene or 72.20000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 66.0 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 66.0 Ma
Collections (265 total)
Oldest occurrences | |||
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early/Lower Maastrichtian | France (Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur) | Ratitae indet. (47893) | |
| Selandian | Belgium | Lithornithidae indet. (68431) | |
| Selandian | Germany (Saxony-Anhalt) | Fissuravis weigelti (74643) | |
| Tiffanian | USA (California) | Lithornis sp. (154724) | |
| Tiffanian | USA (Montana) | Lithornis celetius (15008) | |
| Late/Upper Paleocene | France (Oise) | Remiornis sp. (166598) | |
| Thanetian | France (Champagne-Ardenne) | Remiornis heberti (68428 87925) | |
| Thanetian | France (Nord) | Lithornithidae indet. (68429) | |
| Thanetian | United Kingdom (England) | Pediorallus barbarae (68433) | |
| Clarkforkian | USA (Wyoming) | Lithornis promiscuus, Lithornis plebius (133237) | |
| Early/Lower Eocene | USA (Wyoming) | Paracathartes howardae (13321) | |
| Early/Lower Eocene | United Kingdom (England) | Lithornis vulturinus (13320) | |
| Early/Lower Eocene | Brazil (Rio de Janeiro) | Diogenornis fragilis (38793) | |
| Ypresian | United Kingdom (England) | Pediorallus barbarae (216089) | |
| Ypresian | United Kingdom (Sussex) | Pediorallus barbarae (13298) | |
| Ypresian | France (Aude) | Galligeranoides boriensis (182641) | |
| Ypresian | Denmark | Lithornis sp., Lithornis vulturinus (84460) | |
| Ypresian | United Kingdom | Lithornis vulturinus, Promusophaga magnifica (215472) | |
| Ypresian | United Kingdom (United Kingdom) | Pediorallus barbarae (216091) | |
| Wasatchian | USA (Wyoming) | Calciavis grandei (85026) Geranoides jepseni (74618) Pseudocrypturus cercanaxius (15853) | |