This module covers the taxonomy of the following five orders that comprise the superorder Palaeognathae TINAMIFORMES — tinamous 4 Ratite orders RHEIFORMES — rheas STRUTHIONIFORMES — ostriches CASUARIIFORMES — Emu & Cassowaries DINORNITHIFORMES

Neornithines = Paleognathae + Neognathae text page 43

Subclass Neornithes: New birds Superorder Paleognathae - "Ancient Jaw” Modern birds with a primitive palate (paleognathous) a)Reduced keel Tinamous b)No keel & flightless (Ratites) Ostrich, Rheas, Emus, Cassowaries, Moas & Kiwis

General features of Palaeognathae Basal group of living birds (earliest divergence) They share a unique structure between the nasal passages (the palaeognathous palate) Secondarily lost ability to flight - They have either a reduced keel (tinamous) or no keel (ratites) Sex chromosomes (i.e. Z and W) are same size and shape (like reptiles, but unlike rest of birds) (Note: you don’t have to know these bones)

TINAMOUS Elegant-crested Tinamou, Pategonia, Argentina

Range: South America Morphology/ecology: medium to large fowl-like birds with short wings, very short tails, chicken-like beak; brownish cryptic plumage, superficial resemblance to partridges eat seeds, fruit Behavior: males incubate and raise chicks alone, in some species two or more females lay eggs in one male’s nest; extremely glossy eggs; cool mating systems but poorly studied. Taxonomic notes: based on palate structure related to ratites (ratites are next four orders of primitive flightless birds) ratites lack keel on sternum, tinamous have a reduced keel. ORDER TINAMIFORMES — Tinamous — 1 family; 47 species

tinamous have shiny eggs

Greater Rhea RHEAS

Range: South America Morphology/ecology: large, flightless ostrich-like birds; fast runners; 3 toes Behavior: males incubate and raise chicks alone, groups of females (harems) lay in each male’s nest Other notes: birds are hunted illegally for plumes, particularly for use in Brazil’s Carnival ORDER RHEIFORMES — Rheas — 1 family; 2 species

Ostriches

Range: Africa Morphology/ecology: largest living bird, flightless, fast runners; 2 toes Behavior: both sexes care for eggs and chicks, are secondary females that lay in the nests Other notes: only bird with two toes ORDER STRUTHIONIFORMES — Ostrich — 1 Family; 1 sp

EMUS & CASSOWARIES

Range: Australo-Papuan (New Guinea) region Morphology/ecology: large, flightless ostrich-like birds; 3 toes Behavior: males incubate and raise chicks alone Other notes: Cassowaries have colorful bony casque on top of head; cassowaries have killed many humans by disemboweling them with powerful kicks with their large claws. ORDER CASUARIIFORMES — Emu & Cassowaries — 2 families; 4 species

Cassowary Cassowary casque

Range: New Zealand Morphology/ecology: Nocturnal, small flightless birds; nostrils at tip of long, flexible decurved bill; plumage hair-like; eat worms and other invertebrates; lay largest egg relative to body size Behavior: males incubate and raise chicks alone Other notes: these birds appear to fill a mammal-like niche ORDER ORDER DINORNITHIFORMES (APTERYGIFORMES) — Kiwis- — 1 family; 3 species

KIWIS AND MOAS

Kiwis lay the largest egg proportional to their body mass (~15-20% body mass)

Family Dinornithidae – Moas - Giant flightless birds (20 to 250 kg) - Filled many mammalian niches (no native mammals in New Zealand) - Went extinct ~400 years ago. by Joseph Smit ( )

Harpagornis moorei, the giant New Zealand eagle, was the only predator

Ratites have southern “Gondwanaland” type distribution; suggestion has been that distribution of flightless forms reflects continental drift.

New phylogeny: ratites are polyphyletic (tinamou in middle) flight lost more than once; not tight link with continental drift