Higher classification Telluraves | Phylum Chordata Scientific name Australaves | |
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Clade AustralavesEricson, 2012 Lower classifications Passerine, Parrot, Crow, Bird‑of‑paradise, Sparrow | ||
Australaves is a recently defined clade of birds, consisting of the Eufalconimorphae (passerines, parrots and falcons) as well as the Cariamiformes (including seriamas and the extinct "terror birds"). They appear to be the sister group of Afroaves. As in the case of Afroaves, the most basal clades have predatory extant members, suggesting this was the ancestral lifestyle; however, some researchers like Darren Naish are skeptical of this assessment, since some extinct representatives such as the herbivorous Strigogyps lead other lifestyles. Basal parrots and falcons are at any rate vaguely crow-like and probably omnivorous.
Cladogram of Australaves relationships based on Jarvis, E.D. et al. (2014).
References
Australaves Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA