Neognathae

Neognaths; Temporal range:Late Cretaceous–present,72–0Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Possible early Late Cretaceous origin based onmolecular clock
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Infraclass:	Neognathae; Pycraft,1900
Subgroups
	Pangalloanserae; Neoaves;

Neognathae(/niˈɒɡnəθiː/;fromAncient Greekνέος(néos)'new, young', andγνάθος(gnáthos)'jaw') is aninfraclassofbirds,calledneognaths,within the classAvesof theclade Archosauria.Neognathae includes the majority of living birds; the exceptions being thetinamousand the flightlessratites,which belong instead to thesister taxon Palaeognathae.There are nearly 10,000 livingspeciesof neognaths.

The earliestfossilsare known from the very end of theCretaceouswith the oldest known member beingTeviornisfrom theNemegt FormationofMongolia,^[5]but molecular clocks suggest that neognaths originated sometime in the first half of theLate Cretaceous,about 90 million years ago.^[6]Since then, they have undergone adaptive radiation, producing the diversity of form, function, and behavior that exists today. Neognathae includes theorder Passeriformes(perching birds), one of the largest orders of land vertebrates, containing some 60% of living birds. Passeriformes is twice as species-rich asRodentiaand about five times as species-rich asChiroptera(bats), which are the two largest orders ofmammals.Neognathae also contains some very small orders, often birds of unclear relationships like thehoatzin.

The neognaths have fusedmetacarpals,an elongate third finger, and 13 or fewervertebrae.They differ from the Palaeognathae in features like the structure of their jawbones.Neognathaemeans "new jaws", but it seems that the supposedly "more ancient" paleognath jaws are among the fewapomorphic(more derived) features of the palaeognaths, meaning that the respective jaw structure of these groups is not informative in terms of comparative evolution. A neognath-like palate is however seen in modern basal birds likeIchthyornis.^[7]

Taxonomy and systematics[edit]

Neognathae was longrankedas asuperordersubdivided into orders. Attempts to organise this group further, as in theConspectusofCharles Lucien Bonaparte,were never accepted by a significant majority ofornithologists.Until the 1980s, there was little subdivision of the Aves in general, and even less ofphylogeneticmerit. Since then, the availability of massive amounts of new data fromfossils(especiallyEnantiornithesand otherMesozoicbirds) and molecular (DNAandprotein) sequences allowed scientists to refine the classification. With new groups of neognath orders being verified, the taxonomic rank of the group needed to shift. Most researchers have now employed the unrankedtaxaofphylogenetic nomenclature.^[8]

Neognathae is now universally accepted to subdivide into two lineages, the "fowl" cladeGalloanseresand theNeoaves(sometimes called "higher neognaths" ). The subdivisions of the latter are still not well resolved, but severalmonophyleticlineages have been proposed, such as theMirandornithes,Cypselomorphae,Metaves,andCoronaves.Although groups such as the former two (uniting a few closely related orders) are robustly supported, this cannot be said for the groups Metaves and Coronaves for which there is no material evidence at present, while theMesozoicrecord of Neognathae is at present utterly devoid of birds that should have been present if these proposed clades were real.^[9]

Systematics[edit]

The orders are arranged in a sequence that attempts to follow the modern view on neognathphylogeny.It differs from the widely usedClements taxonomyas well as from theSibley-Ahlquist taxonomy,combining those elements from each that more modern research agrees with while updating those that are refuted. Most of the changes affect those "higher landbirds" that are sometimes united asnear passerines.^[10]

Neognathia[edit]

Feduccia defined the cladeNeognathiaas birds whosepalatalmobility increased due to the following modifications (Feduccia 1980, 1996):

Loss of theBasipterygoidarticulation with thecranium.
Development of apterygoid/palatinejoint.
Reduction of thevomer,such that it does not reach caudally to thepterygoid,or is lost entirely.

Relationships[edit]

Neognathaecladogramof modern bird relationships based on Braun & Kimball (2021)^[11]

Neognathae

Galloanserae

	Galliformes(chickensand relatives)

	Anseriformes(ducksand relatives)

Neoaves

Mirandornithes

	Phoenicopteriformes(flamingos)

	Podicipediformes(grebes)

Columbimorphae

Columbiformes(pigeons)

	Mesitornithiformes(mesites)

	Pterocliformes(sandgrouse)

Passerea

	Otidiformes(bustards)

	Cuculiformes(cuckoos)

Musophagiformes(turacos)

Gruiformes(railsandcranes)

Charadriiformes(wadersand relatives)

Opisthocomiformes(hoatzin)

Strisores(swifts,hummingbirds,nightjarsand allies)

Ardeae

Eurypygimorphae

	Phaethontiformes(tropicbirds)

	Eurypygiformes(sunbitternandkagu)

Aequornithes

Gaviiformes^[12](loons)

Austrodyptornithes

	Procellariiformes(albatrossesandpetrels)

	Sphenisciformes(penguins)

Ciconiiformes(storks)

	Suliformes(boobies,cormorants,etc.)

	Pelecaniformes(pelicans,herons&ibises)

Telluraves

Accipitrimorphae

	Cathartiformes(New World vultures)

	Accipitriformes(hawksand relatives)

Strigiformes(owls)

Coraciimorphae

Coliiformes(mouse birds)

Cavitaves

Leptosomiformes(cuckoo roller)

Trogoniformes(trogons and quetzals)

Picocoraciae

Bucerotiformes(hornbillsand relatives)

Picodynastornithes

	Coraciiformes(kingfishersand relatives)

	Piciformes(woodpeckersand relatives)

Australaves

Cariamiformes(seriemas)

Eufalconimorphae

Falconiformes(falcons)

Psittacopasserae

	Psittaciformes(parrots)

	Passeriformes(passerines)

Footnotes[edit]

^Field, Daniel J.; Benito, Juan; Chen, Albert; Jagt, John W. M.; Ksepka, Daniel T. (March 2020)."Late Cretaceous neornithine from Europe illuminates the origins of crown birds".Nature.579(7799): 397–401.Bibcode:2020Natur.579..397F.doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2096-0.ISSN 0028-0836.PMID 32188952.S2CID 212937591.
^De Pietri, Vanesa L.; Scofield, R. Paul; Zelenkov, Nikita; Boles, Walter E.; Worthy, Trevor H. (February 2016)."The unexpected survival of an ancient lineage of anseriform birds into the Neogene of Australia: the youngest record of Presbyornithidae".Royal Society Open Science.3(2): 150635.Bibcode:2016RSOS....350635D.doi:10.1098/rsos.150635.PMC4785986.PMID 26998335.
^Kuhl., H.; Frankl-Vilches, C.; Bakker, A.; Mayr, G.; Nikolaus, G.; Boerno, S. T.; Klages, S.; Timmermann, B.; Gahr, M. (2020)."An unbiased molecular approach using 3'UTRs resolves the avian family-level tree of life".Molecular Biology and Evolution.38:108–127.doi:10.1093/molbev/msaa191.PMC7783168.PMID 32781465.
^Yonezawa, T.; Segawa, T.; Mori, H.; Campos, P. F.; Hongoh, Y.; Endo, H.; Akiyoshi, A.; Kohno, N.; Nishida, S.; Wu, J.; Jin, H.; Adachi, J.; Kishino, H.; Kurokawa, K.; Nogi, Y.; Tanabe, H.; Mukoyama, H.; Yoshida, K.; Rasoamiaramanana, A.; Yamagishi, S.; Hayashi, Y.; Yoshida, A.; Koike, H.; Akishinonomiya, F.; Willerslev, E.; Hasegawa, M. (2016-12-15)."Phylogenomics and Morphology of Extinct Paleognaths Reveal the Origin and Evolution of the Ratites".Current Biology.27(1): 68–77.doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.10.029.PMID 27989673.
^Marjanović, D. (2021)."The Making of Calibration Sausage Exemplified by Recalibrating the Transcriptomic Timetree of Jawed Vertebrates".Frontiers in Genetics.12.521693.doi:10.3389/fgene.2021.521693.PMC8149952.
^Claramunt, S.; Cracraft, J. (Dec 2015)."A new time tree reveals Earth history's imprint on the evolution of modern birds".Sci Adv.1(11): e1501005.Bibcode:2015SciA....1E1005C.doi:10.1126/sciadv.1501005.PMC4730849.PMID 26824065.
^Torres, Christopher R.; Norell, Mark A.; Clarke, Julia A. (2021)."Bird neurocranial and body mass evolution across the end-Cretaceous mass extinction: The avian brain shape left other dinosaurs behind".Science Advances.7(31).Bibcode:2021SciA....7.7099T.doi:10.1126/sciadv.abg7099.PMC8324052.PMID 34330706.
^Mindell & Brown (2005)
^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 Mindellet al.(2005)
^Mindellet al.(2005)
^Braun, E.L. & Kimball, R.T. (2021) Data types and the phylogeny of Neoaves.Birds,2(1), 1-22;https://doi.org/10.3390/birds2010001
^Boyd, John (2007)."NEORNITHES: 46 Orders"(PDF).John Boyd's website.Retrieved30 December2017.

References[edit]

Claramunt, S.; Cracraft, J. (2015)."A new time tree reveals Earth history's imprint on the evolution of modern birds".Sci Adv.1(11): e1501005.Bibcode:2015SciA....1E1005C.doi:10.1126/sciadv.1501005.PMC4730849.PMID 26824065.
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.

External links[edit]

[2020fossilrange-1] Field, Daniel J.; Benito, Juan; Chen, Albert; Jagt, John W. M.; Ksepka, Daniel T. (March 2020)."Late Cretaceous neornithine from Europe illuminates the origins of crown birds".Nature.579(7799): 397–401.Bibcode:2020Natur.579..397F.doi:10.1038/s41586-020-2096-0.ISSN 0028-0836.PMID 32188952.S2CID 212937591.

[DePietriWilaru-2] De Pietri, Vanesa L.; Scofield, R. Paul; Zelenkov, Nikita; Boles, Walter E.; Worthy, Trevor H. (February 2016)."The unexpected survival of an ancient lineage of anseriform birds into the Neogene of Australia: the youngest record of Presbyornithidae".Royal Society Open Science.3(2): 150635.Bibcode:2016RSOS....350635D.doi:10.1098/rsos.150635.PMC4785986.PMID 26998335.

[Kuhletal2020-3] Kuhl., H.; Frankl-Vilches, C.; Bakker, A.; Mayr, G.; Nikolaus, G.; Boerno, S. T.; Klages, S.; Timmermann, B.; Gahr, M. (2020)."An unbiased molecular approach using 3'UTRs resolves the avian family-level tree of life".Molecular Biology and Evolution.38:108–127.doi:10.1093/molbev/msaa191.PMC7783168.PMID 32781465.

[Yonezawa2017-4] Yonezawa, T.; Segawa, T.; Mori, H.; Campos, P. F.; Hongoh, Y.; Endo, H.; Akiyoshi, A.; Kohno, N.; Nishida, S.; Wu, J.; Jin, H.; Adachi, J.; Kishino, H.; Kurokawa, K.; Nogi, Y.; Tanabe, H.; Mukoyama, H.; Yoshida, K.; Rasoamiaramanana, A.; Yamagishi, S.; Hayashi, Y.; Yoshida, A.; Koike, H.; Akishinonomiya, F.; Willerslev, E.; Hasegawa, M. (2016-12-15)."Phylogenomics and Morphology of Extinct Paleognaths Reveal the Origin and Evolution of the Ratites".Current Biology.27(1): 68–77.doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.10.029.PMID 27989673.

[5] Marjanović, D. (2021)."The Making of Calibration Sausage Exemplified by Recalibrating the Transcriptomic Timetree of Jawed Vertebrates".Frontiers in Genetics.12.521693.doi:10.3389/fgene.2021.521693.PMC8149952.

[6] Claramunt, S.; Cracraft, J. (Dec 2015)."A new time tree reveals Earth history's imprint on the evolution of modern birds".Sci Adv.1(11): e1501005.Bibcode:2015SciA....1E1005C.doi:10.1126/sciadv.1501005.PMC4730849.PMID 26824065.

[7] Torres, Christopher R.; Norell, Mark A.; Clarke, Julia A. (2021)."Bird neurocranial and body mass evolution across the end-Cretaceous mass extinction: The avian brain shape left other dinosaurs behind".Science Advances.7(31).Bibcode:2021SciA....7.7099T.doi:10.1126/sciadv.abg7099.PMC8324052.PMID 34330706.

[tol-neognath-8] Mindell & Brown (2005)

[9] 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 Mindellet al.(2005)

[10] Mindellet al.(2005)

[Braun&Kimball2021-11] Braun, E.L. & Kimball, R.T. (2021) Data types and the phylogeny of Neoaves.Birds,2(1), 1-22;https://doi.org/10.3390/birds2010001

[Boyd-12] Boyd, John (2007)."NEORNITHES: 46 Orders"(PDF).John Boyd's website.Retrieved30 December2017.

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