Avian Evolution

Foreword ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xiii

Chapter 1 An Introduction to Birds, the Geological Settings of Their Evolution, and the Avian Skeleton 1

Birds Are Evolutionarily Nested within Theropod Dinosaurs 2

The Geological Settings of Avian Evolution in a Nutshell 4

Characteristics of the Avian Skeleton 6

Chapter 2 The Origin of Birds 18

Archaeopteryx: The German ¢Urvogel¢ and Its Bearing on Avian Evolution 19

The Closest Maniraptoran Relatives of Birds 22

Feather Evolution 32

The Origin of Avian Flight 37

Chapter 3 The Mesozoic Flight Way towards Modern Birds 43

Jeholornithids: Early Cretaceous Long-Tailed Birds 44

Confuciusornis, Sapeornis, and Kin: Basal Birds with a Pygostyle 45

Ornithothoraces and the Origin of Sustained Flapping Flight Capabilities 50

The Ornithuromorpha: Refinement of Modern Characteristics 55

Ornithurae and the Origin of Modern Birds 59

Chapter 4 Mesozoic Birds: Interrelationships and Character Evolution 64

The Interrelationships of Mesozoic Birds: Controversial Phylogenetic Placements and Well-Supported Clades 65

Character Evolution in Mesozoic Birds 68

Ontogenetic Development of Mesozoic Birds 81

Chapter 5 The Interrelationships and Origin of Crown Group Birds (Neornithes) 84

Phylogenetic Interrelationships of Neornithine Birds 85

The Mesozoic Fossil Record of Neornithine-Like and Neornithine Birds 88

Chapter 6 Palaeognathous Birds (Ostriches, Tinamous, and Allies) 94

The Interrelationships of Extant Palaeognathae 95

Early Cenozoic Palaeognathous Birds of the Northern Hemisphere 95

Long-Winged Ostriches, Rheas, and Tinamous 97

Short-Winged Palaeognathous Birds 101

Biogeography: A Textbook Example of Gondwanan Vicariance Has Been Dismantled 105

Chapter 7 Galloanseres: ¢Fowl¢ and Kin 107

Galliformes: From Herbivorous Forest Dwellers to Seed Eaters of Open Landscapes 108

The Waterfowl 113

Gastornithids: Giant Herbivorous Birds in the Early Paleogene of the Northern Hemisphere 118

Dromornithids (Mihirungs or Thunderbirds): Gastornis-Like Birds from Australia 120

Pelagornithids: Bony-Toothed Birds 121

Chapter 8 The ¢Difficult-to-Place Groups¢: Biogeographic Surprises and Aerial Specialists 125

The Columbiform Birds: Doves, Sandgrouse, ¢¦ and Mesites? 126

The Hoatzin: A South American Relict Species 127

Turacos and Cuckoos 129

Bustards 131

The ¢Wonderful¢ Mirandornithes, or How Different Can Sister Taxa Be? 132

Strisores: The Early Diversification of Nocturnal Avian Insectivores 136

Chapter 9 Shorebirds, Cranes, and Relatives 147

Charadriiformes: One of the Most Diverse Groups of Extant Birds 148

From Rail to Crane 156

Chapter 10 Aequornithes: Aquatic and Semi-Aquatic Carnivores 161

Loons: Foot-Propelled Divers of the Northern Hemisphere 162

Pelagic Tubenoses and Albatrosses 164

Penguins: More Than 60 Million Years of Flightlessness 168

The Polyphyletic ¢Pelecaniformes¢ and ¢Ciconiiformes¢ 174

Late Cenozoic Turnovers in Marine Avifaunas 187

Chapter 11 Cariamiforms and Diurnal Birds of Prey 189

Seriemas and Allies: Two Species Now, Many More in the Past 190

Diurnal Birds of Prey: Multiple Cases of Convergence among Raptorial Birds 197

Chapter 12 The Cenozoic Radiation of Small Arboreal Birds 204

The Courol and Mousebirds: Two African Relict Groups 205

The Long Evolutionary History of Owls 210

Parrots and Passerines: An Unexpected Sister Group Relationship and Its Potential Evolutionary Implications 212

Trogons, Rollers, and Woodpeckers: Cavity-Nesters with Diverse Foot Morphologies 223

Chapter 13 Insular Avifaunas Now and Then, on Various Scales 233

Islands and Isolated Continents as Refugia 234

The Evolution of Flightlessness in Predator-Free Environments 235

Insular Gigantism and Islands as Cradles of Unusual Morphologies 241

Glossary 245

References 248

Index 289