Re: BIRD PHYLOGENY, DNA, MOL. CLOCKS *YAWWN*

[pharrinj@PLU.edu]

On Tue, 9 Jan 1996, Ronald Orenstein wrote:

> Darren Naish writes
> 
>  BUT (one of
> >my favourite party-lines) _Juncitarsus_, a little wader from the Eocene 
> >Messel
> >fauna, has *proved* that flamingos are derived stilts (recurvirostrids -
> avocets
> >in this family too, waders of the Charadriiformes)*. Incidentally, recently
> >published observations of nesting colonies of Banded stilts (_Cladorhynchus
> >leucocephala_) show that they do exactly the same weird thing as breeding
> >flamingos (huge colonies on flat islands in remote, hostile lakes), and
> thus add
> >some behavioral support to this. 
> 
> This is to me one of the biggest holes in the S&M classification - I think
> the evidence for a flamingo-stilt connection is very strong.  On the whole
> my favourite part of it (meaning the part that matches my own gut instincts
> best) is the classification of passerines, which I think S&M have greatly
> elucidated, particularly by reassigning some clearly misplaced genera and by
> recognizing the distinctiveness of Australian songbirds.  But I stll find it
> hard to believe that birds of paradise and bowerbirds are not closely
> related!  The trouble is, how do we non-molecular types judge this kind of
> evidence?  Anyway it's useless for fossils!
> --
> Ronald I. Orenstein                           Phone: (905) 820-7886 (home)
> International Wildlife Coalition              Fax/Modem: (905) 569-0116 (home)
> Home: 1825 Shady Creek Court                  Messages: (416) 368-4661
> Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 3W2          Internet: ornstn@inforamp.net
> Office: 130 Adelaide Street W., Suite 1940    
> Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3P5             
> 
> 

On a slightly different tack (or two), are secretary birds, according to 
the new classification, seriema relatives or falconiides?  Does the new 
study support common origin of galliforms and anseriforms?  What are 
loons?  Are ratites monophyletic?  Just making sure--accipitrids are 
still considered close relatives of falconids, right?

    Eagerly awaiting replies,

     Nick Pharris
     Pacific Lutheran University
     pharrinj@plu.edu