Origin, Speciation and

Classification

Fossil History
Among other Mesozoic reptiles that have been
suggested as possible ancestors to the birds are
1.
The ptesaurus or pterodactyls, bouyant, flying
forms that, of necessity for flight, had many avian
features
2.
The Saurischia (reptile-pelvis), which included
some light bodied, fleet footed forms like
Struthiomimus (ostrich-mimic)
3.
The Ornithischia (bird-pelvis), which included
bipedal runners like the duct-billed dinosaurus

Fossil Birds

Unfortunately, bird remains

are not as well represented
among known fossils as the
reptiles and mammals,
because of their delicate
structure, do not fossilize
readily, and the living habits
of bird are not conductive to
preservation of specimen.
Archaeopteryx was a
medium-sized bird about the
size of a pigeon but with
long lizardlike tail with
lateral tail feathers, an
arrangement unlike that of
any modern bird.

Kanan atas fosil sejenis

burung gagak Corvus sp
Berasal dari lapisan
Upper Oligocene,
Cereste, France
Kanan bawah fosil
Burung Confuciusornis
sanctus berasal dari
lapisan Upper Jurassic/
Lower CretaceousYixian,
China

Speciation

A species is any plant or animal distinguishable from

other plants or animals.

The Taxonomic Categories

Biologists have a propensity for classifying
things; hence, they have attempted to orrange
all plants and animals in an orderly sequence
based on apparent kinship by grouping them
into categories such as species, genera,
families, orders, classes, and phyla.

The Taxonomic
Categories

Nomenclature

Giving names to things is called nomenclature,

as opposed to taxonomy or systematics (terms
used more or less interchangeably), which is
the study or science of classification and our
attempt to orrange groups in a true
phylogenetic sequance.
The trinomial (subspecies designation) has to
be added.

Nomenclature

The scientific name of a bird consists of the

generic name, capitalized and put in italics (or
underlined in script), followed by the species
name and then the subspecies, if there are
subspecies.
Families
An additional 41 fossil families have been listed
by Wetmore (1960), a number that will be
considerably augmented when Brodkorbs
Catalogue of Fossil Birds is complete.

Family names of birds, as in all animal

families, end in idae. (Similarly, subfamily
names end in inae and superfamilies in
oidea.

Orders

American classifications, following Wetmore

(1960) and Peters check-list of Birds of the
World (1931-1972), divide the class Aves into
about 27 orders of living birds, with about 6
others known only from extinct or fossil
forms. Some Europeans, however, notably
Stresemann (1959), use smaller ordinal units
and recognize 51. of the 27 orders used here,
20 are represented in North America.

Three of these barely reach our borders

(oceanic or tropical), so that most states have
representatives of 17.
Ordinal names of birds (in this country) end in
formes.

Orders and Familie of Living Birds

1. Sphenisciformes, penguin
1. Spheniscidae
2. Struthioniformes, Ostriches
1. Struthhionidae
3. Rheiformes, Rheas
1. Rheidae
4. Casuariiformes,
1. Casuariidae, Cassowaries
2. Dromiceidae, Emus
5. Apterygiformes, Kiwis
1. Apterygidae

Tinamiformes, tinamous
1. Tinamidae
7.
Gaviiformes, Loons
1. Gaviidae
8.
Podicipediformes, Grebes
Podicipedidae
9. Procellariiformes. Tube-nose Swimmers
1. Diomeideidae
2. Procellariidae
3. Hydrobatidae
4. Pelecanoididae
6.

10. PELECANIFORMES. Totipalmate

Swimmers
1. Phaethontidae
2. Pelecanidae
3. Sulidae
4. Phalacrocoraidae
5. Anhingidae
6. Fregatidae

11. CICONIIFORMES (Ardeiformes of some

authors). Long legged Waders

1. Ardeidae
2. Ciconiidae
3. Threskiornithidae
4. Phoenicopteridae
12. ANSERIFORMES, Screamers, Waterfowl
1. Anhimidae
2. Anatidae, ducks, geese, swans

13. FALCONIFORMES. Diurnal birds of prey

1. Cathartidae
2. Sagittariidae
3. Acciptridae
4. Pandionidae
5. Falconidae

14. GALLIFORMES

1. Megapidiidae
2. Cracidae
3. Tetraonidae
4. Phasianidae
5. Numididae
6. Meleagrididae
7. Opisthocomidae

15. GRUIFORMES
1. Gruidae
2. Aramidae
3. Rallidae
16. CHARADRIIFORMES
1. Jacanidae
2. Charadriidae
3. Scolopacidae
4. Recurvirostridae
5. Phalaropodidae
6. Laridae

17. COLUMBIFORMES. Pigeonlike birds.

1. Columbidae
18. PSITTACIFORMES,Parrots, lories, macaws
1. Psittacidae
19. CUCULIFORMES, Plantain-eaters, Cuckoos
1. Musophagidae
2. Cuculidae
20. STIRIGIFORMES, Owls.
1. Tytonidae
2. Strigidae

21. CAPRIMULGIFORMES, Goatsuckers and

allies
1. Caprimulgidae
22. APODIFORMES, Swifts, Hummingbirds.
1. Apodidae, Swifts.
2. Trochilidae
23. COLIIFORMES, Colies (Mouse-birds)
24. TROGONIFORMES, Trogons.
1. Trogonidae

25. CORACIIFORMES, Kingfishers.

1. Alcedinidae
2. Todidae
3. Momotidae
4. Coraciidae
5. Upupidae, Hoopoes.
6. Bucerotidae, Hornbills.

26. PICIFORMES, Woodpeckers.

1. Capitonidae 3. Picidae
2. Indicatoridae
27. PASSERIFORMES, Perching Birds
1. Hirundinidae
6. Turdidae
2. Dicruridae 7. Sylviidae
3. Oriolidae 8. Sturnidae
4. Corvidae 9. Nectariniidae
5. Mimidae 10. Ploceidae
11. Fringillidae