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FYI:
New DNA research published in Science magazine today claims to "completely
redraw" the family tree of birds. A press release from The Field Museum of
Chicago, where several of the researchers are based, states that "the
scientific names of dozens of birds will have to be changed, and biology
textbooks and birdwatchers' field guides will have to be revised."
Summarizing the research for the Birder's World magazine blog, one of the
lead authors said, "First, appearances can be deceiving. Birds that look or
act similar are not necessarily related. Second, much of bird classification
and conventional wisdom on the evolutionary relationships of birds is
wrong."
Some key findings (again quoting the Field Musem press release):
"Birds adapted to the diverse environments several distinct times because
many birds that now live on water (such as flamingos, tropicbirds and
grebes) did not evolve from a different waterbird group, and many birds that
now live on land (such as turacos, doves, sandgrouse and cuckoos) did not
evolve from a different landbird group.
"Similarly, distinctive lifestyles (such as nocturnal, raptorial and
pelagic, i.e., living on the ocean or open seas) evolved several times. For
example, contrary to conventional thinking, colorful, daytime hummingbirds
evolved from drab nocturnal nightjars; falcons are not closely related to
hawks and eagles; and tropicbirds (white, swift-flying ocean birds) are not
closely related to pelicans and other waterbirds.
"Shorebirds are not a basal evolutionary group, which refutes the widely
held view that shorebirds gave rise to all modern birds."
Some of the more surprising findings are that songbirds and parrots evolved
from a common ancestor; the falcon family is not in the same order as the
hawk and osprey family; the falcon family is actually more closely related
to songbirds and parrots than to hawks and ospreys; hummingbirds and swifts
evolved from nightjars and their allies; woodpeckers evolved from
kingfishers, hornbills, rollers, and allies.
For more information, here are the best accounts I was able to find online:
Science magazine article (abstract is free but you have to pay to get full
text): http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/320/5884/1763
Detailed press release from the Field Museum:
<http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/fm-hgp062008.php>
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/fm-hgp062008.php
Good summary on Birder's World magazine blog:
http://bwfov.typepad.com/birders_world_field_of_vi/2008/06/new-research-show
s-that-much-of-bird-classification-is-wrong.html
Wild Flora
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<p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
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color:windowtext'>FYI:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=3DMsoNormal><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'>New DNA research published in Science magazine today =
claims
to “completely redraw” the family tree of birds. A press =
release
from The Field Museum of Chicago, where several of the researchers are =
based,
states that “</span><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'>the scientific names of dozens of birds will have to =
be
changed, and biology textbooks and birdwatchers' field guides will have =
to be
revised.” </span><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";
color:windowtext'>Summarizing the research for the Birder’s World
magazine blog, </span><span =
style=3D'font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>one
of the lead authors said, “First, appearances can be deceiving. =
Birds
that look or act similar are not necessarily related. Second, much of =
bird
classification and conventional wisdo