Ratite

Ratites
	Soothren Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)
Scientific classification
Kinrick:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Cless:	Aves
Superorder:	Palaeognathae
Order:	Struthioniformes; Latham, 1790
Faimilies
	Struthionidae ostrich; Rheidae rhea; Casuariidae cassowary; Dromaiidae emu; †Aepyornithidae elephant bird; †Dinornithidae moa; Apterygidae kiwi
Synonyms
	Gallinae Linnaeus, 1735; Brachypterae Mohr, 1752; Grallae Linnaeus, 1760; Nudipedes Schäffer, 1774; Fissipedes bidactyles Schäffer, 1774; Retipedes Scopoli, 1777; Struthiones Latham, 1790; Campestres Illiger, 1811; Cursores Illiger, 1811; Proceri Illiger, 1811; Megistanes Vieillot, 1816; Brevipennes Cuvier, 1817; Pressirostres Cuvier, 1817; Inertes Temminck, 1820; Ratitae Ranzani, 1823; Rasores Vigors, 1826; Cursitrices MacGillivray, 1840; Grallatores Keyserling & Bl., 1840; Proceres Sunder., 1872; Struthiornithiformes

A ratite is ony o a diverse group o lairge, flichtless birds o the superorder Palaeognathae. Thare is still some controversy regardin the systematics involved. Some soorces state that Ratites are synonymous wi Struthioniformes,^[4] while ither soorces state that Ratites are the same group, anly that the order Struthioniformes contains anly the Ostrich an possibly the Elephant Bird.^[1]^[5] Ratites belang tae the modren bird superorder Palaeognathae which consists o ratites an tinamous (compare tae Neognathae).^[6] Unlik ither flichtless birds, the ratites hae nae keel on thair sternum – hence the name frae the Laitin ratis (for raft). Wioot this tae anchor thair wing muscles, thay coud nae flee even if thay wur tae develop suitable wings.

Maist pairts o the umwhile Gondwana Supercontinent hae ratites, or did hae till the fairly recent past. Thair closest livin relatives are the tinamous o Sooth Americae.^[7]^[8]

Some taxonomical seestems consider the various faimilies o ratites tae be orders, but the seestem uised here uises the order "Struthioniformes" tae refer tae aw ratites.

References

↑ ^a ^b Brands, Sheila (2008)
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p Gray, George Robert (1863)
↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Salvadori, Tomasso (1895)
↑ ITIS (1996)
↑ Harshman, J. & Brown, J.W. (2010)
↑ Phillips, Matthew (2010). "Tinamous and Moa Flock Together: Mitochondrial Genome Sequence Analysis Reveals Independent Losses of Flight among Ratites". Society of Systematic Biologists. 59 (1): 90–107. Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
↑ Haddrath, O.; Baker A. (2001)
↑ Cooper, A.; Lalueza-Fox, C.; Anderson, S.; Rambaut, A.; Austin, J.; Ward, R. (2001)

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[Brands-1] Brands, Sheila (2008)

[Gray-2] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p Gray, George Robert (1863)

[Salvadori-3] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Salvadori, Tomasso (1895)

[ITIS-4] ITIS (1996)

[TOLweb-5] Harshman, J. & Brown, J.W. (2010)

[6] Phillips, Matthew (2010). "Tinamous and Moa Flock Together: Mitochondrial Genome Sequence Analysis Reveals Independent Losses of Flight among Ratites". Society of Systematic Biologists. 59 (1): 90–107. Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)

[Haddrath,_O_&_Baker,_A_(2001)-7] Haddrath, O.; Baker A. (2001)

[Cooper-8] Cooper, A.; Lalueza-Fox, C.; Anderson, S.; Rambaut, A.; Austin, J.; Ward, R. (2001)

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