User blog:StaraptorEmpoleon/Introduction to birds, part two

Let's get more technical!

There are several off-shoots of birds:

Archaeopteryx
(AR-kee-OP-tor-icks) - the first known bird, probably the most primitive bird and probably more related to dinoaurs.

Confuciusornithidae
(kun-FYU-shus-orn-ith-ih-day) - small, primitive birds.

Example: Confuciusornis.

Enantiornithes
(uh-NAN-tee-OR-nuh-theez) - a group of small, Cretaceous avialians (modern birds and their relatives).

Example: Enantiornis.

Euornithes
(yew-ORN-ih-theez) - true birds.

Example: hamerkop.

Patagopteryx
(pat-uh-GOP-tur-icks) - an early, flightless bird.

Hesperonithiformes
(heh-spuh-ROR-nuh-ith-ih-FOR-mez [something like that]) - a group of swimming avialians from the Cretaceous, some were flightless.

Example: Hesperornis.

Ichthyornithiformes
(ICK-thee-OR-nith-ih-FOR-meez) - only contains a single species (I'll go over that term later) known as Ichthyornis, a bird with teeth, it somewhat resembles a gull.

Neornithes
(NEE-orn-ih-theez) - all modern birds.

It is divided up into:

Palaeognathae
(pay-lee-OH-nath-ay) - birds such as ostriches, rheas, kiwis, emus - they're known as the ratites.

Example: Southern cassowary.

Neognathae
(nee-OH-nath-ay) - every other bird.

Example: Superb lyrebird.

Galloanserae
(gal-oh-AN-ser-ay) - birds such as ducks, geese, swans, pheasants, turkeys, chickens - they're known as the fowl.

Example: Ocellated turkey.

Check out the next blog post...