Re: NEORNITHINE PHYLOGENY etc / Gondwanan groups

[Vorompatra@aol.com]

In a message dated 7/25/2001 7:39:01 PM Eastern Daylight Time, ELurio@aol.com 
writes:

<< The reason that timinus aren't considered ratites by many workers is that 
 they CAN fly. Dictionary abuse strikes again!!!  >>

I cannot recall a reference which actually calls tinamous, ratites. As you 
noted, they are united as Paleognathus birds. I'm no expert on tinamou 
skeletons, but since they CAN fly (albeit weakly, I've read) they must have 
some sort of keeled sternum, which would not "work" for a ratite (literally, 
anyway, since the word derives from Latin for "raft" and is intended to imply 
a lack of keel). IIRC, there are 43 tinamou species, compared to 10 extant 
ratites.

Chip

www.geocities.com/vorompatra