New Research shows that much of bird classification is wrong

[semillama]

Not just a misplaced species here and there, but hugely wrong.

Never mind the tanagers, check out this article!

http://bwfov.typepad.com/birders_world_field_of_vi/2008/06/new-research-shows-that-much-of-bird-classification-is-wrong.html#more

"In the paper, the scientists report, as expected, that they found genome-wide support for two well-known branches at the base of the avian tree of life: one where tinamous and ratites (that is, kiwis, ostriches, and the like) split off from all other birds, and another where chickens, ducks, and their allies split from Neoaves, the group that contains 95 percent of the bird species on the planet today...

What wasn’t expected was an apparent sister relationship between Passeriformes and Psittaciformes (parrots). That’s right, parrots. Just imagine -- songbirds and parrots descending from a common ancestor. And it gets better.

According to the new phylogeny, the falcon family (Falconidae) and the hawk and osprey family (Accipitridae) should no longer be placed together in the order Falconiformes. Rather, Accipitridae shares ancestors with Cathartidae (New World vultures), while Falconidae appears to be closely related to perching birds and parrots. "

It's all a plot by the field guide publishers!!!

[XemaSab]

1. NO SHIT!

:o

I need a beer now.

[XemaSab]

2. I'm spending more time with this article after my initial reaction...

Wow... just wow.

All of the stork/heron group has been stuffed inside the pelican group; the flightless penguins are in with the flying tubenoses; the hummingbirds and swifts are in with the nightjars; Gruiformes has been totally broken up; flamingos, Podiceps grebes, tropicbirds, and mesites are in together; tinamous, ostriches, rheas, kiwis, and so on are together; hawks and new world vultures are together; mousebirds and owls are in together; todys, sunbirds, honeyguides, hoopoes, motmots, hoopoes, woodpeckers, and kingfishers are in the kingfisher group; the falcons and parrots are cousins of the passerines; and I don't know enough of the Latin names to give you any more lurid information than than. :P

[tigereye]

3. it's like that with genetic classification of disorders too

sometimes I wonder whom all of this is really for.... quite a mind-bender at times...



all kinds of things suddenly separated from how we are used to seeing them...