Higher-order Phylogenetics of Birds

Introduction

Use of characters of the phenotype, principally anatomical, for the reconstruction of evolutionary history or phylogeny, has a long history in zoology. Beginning with a need for a phylogeny of waterfowl for study of flightlessness thereof, I have undertaken a number of phylogenetic analyses of single avian orders. Notable among these are Anseriformes, Gruiformes, and Charadriiformes.

See

• Livezey BC and Zusi RL. 2001. Higher-order phylogenetics of modern Aves based on comparative anatomy. Netherlands Journal of Zoology 51: 179–206.
• Livezey BC. 2003. Avian spirit collections: attitudes, importance, and prospects. Bulletin of British Ornithologists' Union 123A: 35–51

Methodological Controversies

The current period of progress and methodological diversification in avian phylogenetics has both generated more hypotheses of relationships and related evolutionary issues increased the number of points of controversy. These debates comprise not only inferred relationships but also a substantial literature on the philosphy and mathematical properties of the various methods currently in play. Resolution of these controversies concurrent with expanding estimates of phylogeny must progress concurrently for a stable and broad resolution of the evolutionary history of birds.

See:

• Livezey BC 2010. Progress and obstacles in the phylogenetics of modern birds (Neornithes). In: Dyke, G. and Chiappe, L. (eds), Evolution of modern birds. Univ. California Press, Berkeley, in press.
• Livezey BC. 2011. Grebes and flamingos: standards of evidence, adjudication of disputes, and societyal politics in avian phylogenetics. Cladistics 27, in press.

Higher-Order Phylogenetics of Neornithes

At the turn of the millenium, the theropod roots of modern birds and broad, traditional views of phylogeny of some avian groups represented the status of modern systematics of birds. As a response to this deficient knowledge of the phylogenetic history of birds, R. L. Zusi (Smithsonian Institution) and I were awarded funds from the National Science Foundation to undertake a decade of study to reconstruct the higher-order relationships of birds using morphological (anatomical) evidence. We were much encouraged by the wealth of data acquired in this effort (Livezey and Zusi 2006), and the analysis that followed provided a well resolved hypothesis of avian phylogeny (Livezey and Zusi 2007).

See:

• Livezey BC, Zusi RL. 2006. Higher-order phylogeny of modern birds (Theropoda, Aves: Neornithes) based on comparative anatomy: I.—Methods and characters. Bulletin of Carnegie Museum of Natural History 37: 1–544.
• Livezey BC, Zusi RL. 2007. Higher-order phylogeny of modern birds (Theropoda, Aves: Neornithes) based on comparative anatomy: II.—Analysis and discussion. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 149: 1–95.
• Zusi RL, Livezey BC. 2008. Variation in the os palatinum and its structural relation to the palatum osseum of birds (Aves). Annals of Ca

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