Odontopterygiform birds:
GALLERY
Odontopterygiform birds:
The so called “pseudo-toothed” birds are members of
a special group of water birds, wearing tooth-like structures on the edge of the
beak. They are known from Paleocene to Miocene deposites from Europe,
North Africa and North America. Normally this taxon has been settlet within
procellariforms (tube-nosed sea birds) or pelecaniforms (e.g. pelicans,
cormorants). A new study of phylogeny made with the program PAUP points
them out to be a sister group of anseriforms (duck-like birds). Thus the common
taxon of Galloanserae (ducks plus chicken-like birds) is not monophyletic,
making galliforms the outgroup within neognathae.
Bourdon, E. (2005): Osteological evidence for sister group relationship between pseudo-
toothed birds (Aves: Odontopterygiformes) and waterfowls (Anseriformes). –
Naturwissenschaften 92, 586-591. |
