Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which includes over 170 species of waterfowl, among them the ducks, geese, and swans. Most modern species in the order are highly adapted for an aquatic existence at the water surface. With the exception of screamers, males have penises, a trait that has been lost in the Neoaves. Due to their aquatic nature, most species are web-footed.
Anseriformes Temporal range: Maastrichtian Stem groups present since | |
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Magpie goose, Anseranas semipalmata | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Clade: | (Anserimorphae) |
Order: | Anseriformes (Wagler), 1831 |
Extant families | |
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Range of the waterfowl and allies |
Evolution
Anseriformes are one of only two types of modern bird to be confirmed present during the Mesozoic alongside the other dinosaurs, and in fact were among the very few birds to survive their extinction, along with their cousins the galliformes. These two groups only occupied two ecological niches during the Mesozoic, living in water and on the ground, while the toothed (enantiornithes) were the dominant birds that ruled the trees and air. The asteroid that ended the Mesozoic destroyed all trees as well as animals in the open, a condition that took centuries[] to recover from. The anseriformes and galliformes are thought to have survived in the cover of burrows and water, and not to have needed trees for food and reproduction.
The earliest known stem anseriform is the (presbyornithid) Teviornis from the Nemegt Formation of Mongolia. Some members apparently surviving the KT extinction event, including (presbyornithids), thought to be the common ancestors of ducks, geese, swans, and (screamers), the last group once thought to be galliformes, but now genetically confirmed to be closely related to geese. The first known duck fossils start to appear about 34 million years ago.
Waterfowl are the best-known examples of sexually antagonistic genital coevolution in vertebrates, causing genital adaptations to coevolve in each sex to advance control over mating and fertilization. Sexually antagonistic coevolution (or SAC) occurs as a consequence of sexual conflict between males and females, resulting in coevolutionary process that reduce fit, or that functions to decrease ease of having sex.
Taxonomy
The Anseriformes and the Galliformes (pheasants, etc.) belong to a common group, the Galloanserae. They are the most primitive (neognathous) birds, and as such they should follow the palaeognathae (ratites and tinamous) in bird classification systems. Several unusual extinct families of birds like the albatross-like (pseudotooth birds) and the giant flightless (gastornithids) and (mihirungs) have been found to be stem-anseriforms based on common features found in the skull region, beak physiology and pelvic region. The genus Vegavis for a while was found to be the earliest member of the anseriform crown group but a recent 2017 paper has found it to be just outside the crown group in the family Vegaviidae.
Below is the general consensus of the phylogeny of anseriforms and their stem relatives.
(Odontoanserae) |
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Systematics
Anatidae systematics, especially regarding placement of some "odd" genera in the dabbling ducks or shelducks, is not fully resolved. See the Anatidae article for more information, and for alternate taxonomic approaches. Anatidae is traditionally divided into subfamilies Anatinae and Anserinae. The Anatinae consists of tribes Anatini, Aythyini, (Mergini) and . The higher-order classification below follows a phylogenetic analysis performed by Mikko's Phylogeny Archive and John Boyd's website.
- Order Anseriformes
- ?†(Conflicto) Claudia P. Tambussi et al. 2019 – tentatively placed here; possibly family Conflictonidae
- †Anatalavis Olson & Parris 1987 (Late Cretaceous/Early Paleocene – Early Eocene) – including Nettapterornis; may belong in Anseranatidae or Conflictonidae
- † Zelenkov 2019
- †(Anachronornis)
- Suborder (Anhimae) Wetmore & Miller 1926
- Genus †(Chaunoides) de Alvarenga 1999
- Family Anhimidae Stejneger 1885 (screamers)
- Genus (Anhima) (Linnaeus 1766) Brisson 1760 (horned screamer)
- Genus (Chauna) Illiger 1811
- Suborder Anseres (true Anseriformes)
- Superfamily (Anseranatoidea)
- Family Anseranatidae Sclater 1880
- Genus † Mourer-Chauviré, Berthet & Hugueney 2004
- Genus †(Eoanseranas) Worthy & Scanlon 2009 (hand's dawn magpie goose)
- Genus Anseranas (Latham 1798) Lesson 1828 (magpie goose)
- Family Anseranatidae Sclater 1880
- Superfamily Anatoidea
- Family †Presbyornithidae? Wetmore 1926 (wading-"geese")^
- Genus †Teviornis Kuročkin, Dyke & Karhu 2002
- Genus †(Telmabates) Howard 1955
- Genus †Presbyornis Wetmore 1926
- Genus †(Wilaru) Boles et al. 2013
- Genus † Zelenkov 2021
- Genus † Worthy et al. 2023
- Family † Miller & Compton 1939
- Genus † Miller & Compton 1939 (Rosebud Early Miocene of Bennett County, USA)
Anatidae
- Genus † Miller & Compton 1939 (Rosebud Early Miocene of Bennett County, USA)
- Family Anatidae Leach 1820 (almost 150 species)
- Genus †(Garganornis ballmanni)Meijer 2014
- Subfamily † Lambrecht 1933
- Genus † Lebedinský 1927 (Late Eocene/Early Oligocene)
- Genus † Mayr & De Pietri 2013
- Subfamily (Dendrocygninae) Reichenbach 1849–50
- Genus (Dendrocygna) Swainson 1837 (whistling ducks)
- Genus (Thalassornis) Eyton 1838 (white-backed duck)
- Subfamily † Livezey & Martin 1988
- Genus † Miller 1944
- Genus †(Manuherikia) Worthy et al. 2007
- Genus † Livezey & Martin 1988
- Subfamily (Stictonettinae)
- Genus (Stictonetta) (Gould 1841) Reichenbach 1853 (freckled duck)
- Subfamily Anserinae Vigors 1825 sensu Livezey 1996 (swans and geese)
- Genus † Kuročkin & Ganya 1972
- Genus † Nesov 1986
- Genus † De Vis 1905
- Genus † Lambrecht 1931
- Genus † Lambrecht 1931
- Genus †(Eremochen) Brodkorb 1961
- Genus †(Megalodytes) Howard 1992
- Genus † Short 1969
- Genus † Wetmore 1930
- Genus †(Cnemiornis) Owen 1866 (New Zealand geese)
- Genus †(Afrocygnus) Louchart et al. 2005
- Genus (Coscoroba) (Molina 1782) Reichenbach 1853 (Coscoroba swan)
- Genus (Cereopsis) Latham 1801 (Cape Barren goose)
- Genus Cygnus Garsault 1764
- Genus Branta Scopoli 1769
- Tribe (Anserini) Vigors 1825
- Genus Anser Brisson 1760
- Subfamily Tadorninae Reichenbach 1849–50 (shelducks and sheldgeese)
- Genus †(Australotadorna) Worthy 2009
- Genus † Howard 1964
- Genus †(Centrornis) Andrews 1897 (Malagasy sheldgoose)
- Genus †(Miotadorna) Worthy et al. 2007 (St. Bathans shelduck)
- Genus † Campbell 1979
- Genus † Agnolín 2006
- Genus (Plectropterus) (Linnaeus 1766) (spur-winged goose)
- Genus (Merganetta) Gould 1842 (Torrent duck)
- Genus (Chloephaga) Eyton 1838
- Genus (Neochen) Oberholser 1918
- Genus (Cyanochen) (Rüppell 1845) Bonaparte 1856 (blue-winged goose)
- Genus (Tadorna) Boie 1822
- Genus (Radjah) Reichenbach, 1853
- Genus (Alopochen) Stejneger 1885
- Genus (Cairina) (Linnaeus 1758) Fleming 1822 (Muscovy duck)
- Genus Hymenolaimus (Gmelin 1789) Gray 1843 (blue duck)
- Genus (Sarkidiornis) Eyton 1838
- Genus (Tachyeres) Owen 1875 (steamer ducks)
- Subfamily Anatinae Vigors 1825 sensu Livezey 1996
- Genus †(Dunstanetta) Worthy et al. 2007 (Johnstone's duck)
- Genus † Stidham & Hilton 2015
- Genus †(Pinpanetta) Worthy 2009
- Genus † Worthy 2008
- Genus Aix Boie 1828
- Genus (Callonetta) Delacour 1936 (ringed teal)
- Genus (Chenonetta) von Brandt 1836 (Australian wood duck)
- Genus (Biziura) Stephens 1824 (musk ducks)
- Genus (Pteronetta) (Cassin 1860) Salvadori 1895 (Hartlaub's duck)
- Genus (Marmaronetta) (Ménétries 1832) Reichenbach 1853 (marbled duck)
- Genus (Asarcornis) (Müller 1842) Salvadori 1895 (white-winged duck)
- Genus (Netta) Kaup 1829
- Genus (Lophonetta) (King 1828) Riley 1914 (crested duck)
- Genus (Amazonetta) (Gmelin 1789) von Boetticher 1929 (Brazilian teal)
- Tribe (Oxyurini) Swainson 1831 (stiff-tailed ducks and allies)
- Genus †(Anabernicula) Ross 1935
- Genus (Heteronetta) (Merrem 1841) Salvadori 1865 (black-headed duck)
- Genus (Nomonyx) (Linnaeus 1766) Ridgway 1880 (masked duck)
- Genus (Oxyura) Bonaparte 1828
- Genus (Nettapus) von Brandt 1836 (pygmy geese)
- Genus (Malacorhynchus) Swainson 1831 (pink-eared duck)
- Genus (Salvadorina) Rothschild & Hartert 1894 (Salvadori's teal)
- Genus (Speculanas) (King 1828) von Boetticher 1929 (bronze-winged duck)
- Tribe Rafinesque 1815 (eiders, scoters, mergansers and other sea-ducks)
- Genus †(Chendytes) Miller 1925
- Genus †Shiriyanetta Watanabe & Matsuoka 2015
- Genus †(Camptorhynchus) (Gmelin 1789) Bonaparte 1838 (Labrador duck)
- Genus (Histrionicus) Lesson 1828 (harlequin duck)
- Genus (Clangula) Leach 1819 (long-tailed duck)
- Genus (Polysticta stelleri) (Pallas 1769) Eyton 1836 (Steller's eider)
- Genus (Somateria) Leach 1819 (eiders)
- Genus (Melanitta) Boie 1822 (scoters)
- Genus (Bucephala) Baird 1858
- Genus (Mergellus) Selby 1840 (Smew)
- Genus (Lophodytes) (Linnaeus 1758) Reichenbach 1853 (hooded merganser)
- Genus (Mergus) Linnaeus 1758 non Brisson 1760
- Tribe Anatini Vigors 1825 sensu Livezey 1996 (dabbling ducks and moa-nalos)
- Genus †(Matanas) Worthy et al. 2007 (Enright's duck)
- Genus Anas Linnaeus 1758
- Genus (Sibirionetta) (Georgi 1775) (Baikal teal)
- Genus (Mareca) (Stephens 1824)
- Genus (Spatula) Boie 1822
- Tribe Aythyini Delacour and Mayr, 1945 (diving ducks)
- Genus (Aythya) Boie 1822
- Family †Presbyornithidae? Wetmore 1926 (wading-"geese")^
- Superfamily (Anseranatoidea)
Unassigned Anatidae:
- † Jánossy 1979 [?Mergus]
- † Campbell 1979
- † Lambrecht 1933
- †
- † Campbell 1979
- † Lambrecht 1933
- † Mlíkovský 2002
- † ["Anas" scaldii]
- †(Ankonetta larriestrai) Cenizo & Agnolín 2010
- † Tonni 1979
- † nomen dubium
- †
- † Harrison & Walker 1978
- †(Chenoanas deserta) Zelenkov 2012
- † Cheneval 1984 [non Mlíkovský 2002]
- † Emslie 1992
- † Ameghino 1894
- †(Mioquerquedula minutissima) Zelenkov & Kuročkin 2012 [ Milne-Edwards 1867]
- † Harrison & Walker 1979
- † Umanskaya 1979
- † Ameghino 1899
- † Zelenkov 2011
- † Zelenkov 2011
- † Zelenkov 2011
- (Metopiana) Bonaparte 1856 [ Heine & Reichenow 1890; Delacour 1937; Delacour 1937]
- †Bambolinetta (Portis 1884) Mayr & Pavia 2014 [(Anas lignitifila) Portis 1884]
- †(Heteroanser vicinus) (Kuročkin 1976) Zelenkov 2012 [ Kuročkin 1976; (Kuročkin 1976) Mlíkovský & Švec 1986]
- †(Sinanas) Yeh 1980
- †(Talpanas) Olson & James 2009 (Kaua'i mole duck)
- † Howard 1966
- †(Chelychelynechen) Olson & James 1991 (turtle-jawed moa-nalo)
- †(Ptaiochen) Olson & James 1991 (small-billed moa-nalo)
- †(Thambetochen) Olson & Wetmore 1976
In addition, a considerable number of mainly Late Cretaceous and Paleogene fossils have been described where it is uncertain whether or not they are anseriforms. This is because almost all orders of aquatic birds living today either originated or underwent a major radiation during that time, making it hard to decide whether some waterbird-like bone belongs into this family or is the product of parallel evolution in a different lineage due to adaptive pressures.
- "Presbyornithidae" gen. et sp. indet. (Barun Goyot Late Cretaceous of Udan Sayr, Mongolia) – Presbyornithidae?
- UCMP 117599 (Hell Creek Late Cretaceous of Bug Creek West, USA)
- (Late Eocene of England) – may be same as Palaeopapia
- (Agnopterus) (Late Eocene – Late Oligocene of Europe) – includes Cygnopterus lambrechti
- "Headonornis hantoniensis" BMNH PAL 4989 (Hampstead Early Oligocene of Isle of Wight, England) – formerly "Ptenornis"
- (Hampstead Early Oligocene of Isle of Wight, England)
- "Anas" creccoides (Early/Middle Oligocene of Belgium)
- "Anas" skalicensis (Early Miocene of "Skalitz", Czech Republic)
- "Anas" risgoviensis (Late Miocene of Bavaria, Germany)
- † Milne-Edwards 1867 [ (Milne-Edwards 1867) Brodkorb 1964]
- †(Eonessa anaticula) Wetmore 1938 {Eonessinae Wetmore 1938}
Phylogeny
Living Anseriformes based on the work by John Boyd.
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- (Crested screamer) (Chauna torquata)
- Magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata), sole surviving member of a Mesozoic lineage
- Cast of (Dromornis stirtoni), a (mihirung), from Australia.
Molecular studies
Studies of the mitochondrial DNA suggest the existence of four branches – Anseranatidae, (Dendrocygninae), Anserinae and Anatinae – with (Dendrocygninae) being a subfamily within the family Anatidae and Anseranatidae representing an independent family. The clade Somaterini has a single genus (Somateria).
See also
- (List of Anseriformes by population)
- (List of Anseriformes)
References
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- Quail-like creatures were the only birds to survive the dinosaur-killing asteroid impact
- Marjanović, D. (2021). "The Making of Calibration Sausage Exemplified by Recalibrating the Transcriptomic Timetree of Jawed Vertebrates". Frontiers in Genetics. 12. 521693. doi:10.3389/fgene.2021.521693. PMC 8149952.
- Brennan, Patricia L.R.; Prum, Richard O. (July 2015). "Mechanisms and Evidence of Genital Coevolution: The Roles of Natural Selection, Mate Choice, and Sexual Conflict". Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology. 7 (7): a017749. doi:10.1101/cshperspect.a017749. ISSN 1943-0264. PMC 4484975. PMID 26134314.
- Andors, A. (1992). "Reappraisal of the Eocene groundbird Diatryma (Aves: Anserimorphae)". Science Series Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. 36: 109–125.
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- Bourdon, E. (2005). "Osteological evidence for sister group relationship between pseudo-toothed birds (Aves: Odontopterygiformes) and waterfowls (Anseriformes)". Naturwissenschaften. 92 (12): 586–91. Bibcode:2005NW.....92..586B. doi:10.1007/s00114-005-0047-0. PMID 16240103. S2CID 9453177.
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- John Boyd's website [2] Boyd, John (2007). "Anseriformes – waterfowl". Retrieved 30 December 2015.
- Houde, Peter; Dickson, Meig; Camarena, Dakota (February 2023). "Basal Anseriformes from the Early Paleogene of North America and Europe". Diversity. 15 (2): 233. doi:10.3390/d15020233. ISSN 1424-2818.
- Pavia, M.; Meijer, H.J.M.; Rossi, M.A.; Göhlich, U.B. (2017). "The extreme insular adaptation of Garganornis ballmanni Meijer, 2014: a giant Anseriformes of the Neogene of the Mediterranean Basin". Royal Society Open Science. 4 (1): 160722. Bibcode:2017RSOS....460722P. doi:10.1098/rsos.160722. PMC 5319340. PMID 28280574.
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Cited texts
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![image](https://www.wikiquery.en-us.nina.az/image/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2lraXF1ZXJ5LmVuLXVzLm5pbmEuYXovaW1hZ2UvYUhSMGNITTZMeTkxY0d4dllXUXVkMmxyYVcxbFpHbGhMbTl5Wnk5M2FXdHBjR1ZrYVdFdlkyOXRiVzl1Y3k5MGFIVnRZaTlrTDJSbUwxZHBhMmxpYjI5cmN5MXNiMmR2TFdWdUxXNXZjMnh2WjJGdUxuTjJaeTgwTUhCNExWZHBhMmxpYjI5cmN5MXNiMmR2TFdWdUxXNXZjMnh2WjJGdUxuTjJaeTV3Ym1jPS5wbmc=.png)
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