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News Release 14-170
'Big bang' of bird evolution mapped by international research team
Genes reveal histories of bird origins, feathers, flight and song
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Peregrine falcons are more closely related to parrots and songbirds than to hawks, eagles, or owls.
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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Learn more about relationships among birds.
Credit: at end of video
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These rainbow lorikeets are representative of parrots.
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About 70 million years ago, Columbea, which includes the crowned pigeon, diverged from Passerea.
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The group Columbea includes the subdesert mesite.
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Double-banded sandgrouse are also members of Columbea.
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The evolutionary history of birds such as the hoatzin (Opisthocomus hoazin; pictured) has been difficult to resolve. This special issue focuses on the avian phylogenomics project, which sequenced 45 bird species from all major avian clades. Using this data, studies analyzed the phylogenetic relationship of birds and explored aspects of avian biology. See page 1308.
Credit: Cover - Copyright AAAS 2014. Photo- Copyright Flip De Nooyer/Foto Natura/Minden Pictures/Corbis
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