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Corvidae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Corvidae
Common Raven
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Aves
Order:
Passeriformes
Family:
Corvidae
Vigors, 1825
Genera
many, see article text
Corvidae is a family of oscine passerine birds
that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies and nutcrackers
(Clayton and Emery 2005, [1]). Collectively its members are called corvids and
there are over 120 species.
They are medium to large
birds with strong feet and bills, rictal bristles and a single moult each year
(most passerines moult twice).
Corvids are found worldwide
except for the tip of South America and the polar ice caps (Clayton and Emery
2005). Recently the Corvus genus has re-entered Australia, resulting in five
new species and one new subspecies (see crows). The majority of the species are
found in tropical South and Central America, southern Asia and Eurasia, with
fewer than 10 species each in Africa, Australasia and North America
Systematics,
taxonomy and evolution
The earliest corvid fossils
date to the mid-Miocene (about 17 MYA) [2]. The genus Corvus, including
the crows and ravens, makes up over a third of the entire family. The name Corvus
was given to these birds is onomatopoetic, from their raucous “croaking” calls [3].
Corvids are derived from Australasian ancestors and from there, spread
throughout the world. Other lineages derived from these ancestors evolved into
ecologically diverse, but often Australasian groups. Over the years there has
been much disagreement on the exact evolutionary relationships of the corvid
family and their relatives. Sibley and Ahlquist have united the corvids with
other taxa in the Corvida, but current research favors the theory that this
grouping is partly artificial.
Clarification of the
interrelationships of the corvids has been researched by Ericson et al. (2005),
based on comparison of several DNA sequences. The Crested Jay (Platylophus
galericulatus) is traditionally included in the Corvidae, but seems not to
be a member of this family[citation needed]. Likewise,
the Hume's Ground "Jay" (Pseudopodoces humilis) is in fact a
member of the family (Paridae) (titmice)[citation needed].
The jays and magpies do not constitute monophyletic lineages, but rather seem
to split up in a American and Old World, and a Holarctic and a Oriental
lineage, respectively, which are not closely related inter se. The
position of the Azure-winged Magpie, which has always been a major enigma, is
even more unclear than it was before.
- Choughs
- Pyrrhocorax
- Treepies
- Dendrocitta
- Crypsirina
- Temnurus
- Platysmurus
- Oriental Magpies
- Urocissa
- Cissa
- Old World and Ground Jays
- Garrulus
- Podoces
- Ptilostomus
- Stresemann's Bush Crow, Zavattariornis stresemanni
- Nutcrackers
- Nucifraga
- Holarctic Magpies
- Pica
- Crows and Ravens
- Corvus
- Azure-winged Magpie, Cyanopica cyana
- Grey Jays
- Perisoreus
- New World Jays
- Aphelocoma
- Calocitta
- Cyanocitta
- Cyanocorax
- Cyanolyca
- Gymnorhinus
- Prehistoric corvid genera (probably mainly
New World and Old World Jays and Holarctic Magpies)
- Miocitta
- Miocorvus
- Henocitta (Arredondo Early Pleistocene
of Williston, USA)
- Protocitta (Early Pleistocene of
Reddick, USA)
- Corvidae gen. et sp. indet. (Sicily) -
probably belongs into extant genus.
In addition, there are
numerous fossil species of extant genera (mainly European Corvus). See
the genus accounts for more.
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Corvidae&action=history
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Corvidae |
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Common Raven |
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Scientific classification |
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Genera |
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many, see article text |
Corvidae is a family of oscine passerine birds
that contains the crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays, magpies, treepies and nutcrackers
(Clayton and Emery 2005, [1]). Collectively its members are called corvids and
there are over 120 species.
They are medium to large
birds with strong feet and bills, rictal bristles and a single moult each year
(most passerines moult twice).
Corvids are found worldwide
except for the tip of South America and the polar ice caps (Clayton and Emery
2005). Recently the Corvus genus has re-entered Australia, resulting in five
new species and one new subspecies (see crows). The majority of the species are
found in tropical South and Central America, southern Asia and Eurasia, with
fewer than 10 species each in Africa, Australasia and North America
Systematics,
taxonomy and evolution
The earliest corvid fossils
date to the mid-Miocene (about 17 MYA) [2]. The genus Corvus, including
the crows and ravens, makes up over a third of the entire family. The name Corvus
was given to these birds is onomatopoetic, from their raucous “croaking” calls [3].
Corvids are derived from Australasian ancestors and from there, spread
throughout the world. Other lineages derived from these ancestors evolved into
ecologically diverse, but often Australasian groups. Over the years there has
been much disagreement on the exact evolutionary relationships of the corvid
family and their relatives. Sibley and Ahlquist have united the corvids with
other taxa in the Corvida, but current research favors the theory that this
grouping is partly artificial.
Clarification of the
interrelationships of the corvids has been researched by Ericson et al. (2005),
based on comparison of several DNA sequences. The Crested Jay (Platylophus
galericulatus) is traditionally included in the Corvidae, but seems not to
be a member of this family[citation needed]. Likewise,
the Hume's Ground "Jay" (Pseudopodoces humilis) is in fact a
member of the family (Paridae) (titmice)[citation needed].
The jays and magpies do not constitute monophyletic lineages, but rather seem
to split up in a American and Old World, and a Holarctic and a Oriental
lineage, respectively, which are not closely related inter se. The
position of the Azure-winged Magpie, which has always been a major enigma, is
even more unclear than it was before.
- Choughs
- Pyrrhocorax
- Treepies
- Dendrocitta
- Crypsirina
- Temnurus
- Platysmurus
- Oriental Magpies
- Urocissa
- Cissa
- Old World and Ground Jays
- Garrulus
- Podoces
- Ptilostomus
- Stresemann's Bush Crow, Zavattariornis stresemanni
- Nutcrackers
- Nucifraga
- Holarctic Magpies
- Pica
- Crows and Ravens
- Corvus
- Azure-winged Magpie, Cyanopica cyana
- Grey Jays
- Perisoreus
- New World Jays
- Aphelocoma
- Calocitta
- Cyanocitta
- Cyanocorax
- Cyanolyca
- Gymnorhinus
- Prehistoric corvid genera (probably mainly
New World and Old World Jays and Holarctic Magpies)
- Miocitta
- Miocorvus
- Henocitta (Arredondo Early Pleistocene
of Williston, USA)
- Protocitta (Early Pleistocene of
Reddick, USA)
- Corvidae gen. et sp. indet. (Sicily) -
probably belongs into extant genus.
In addition, there are
numerous fossil species of extant genera (mainly European Corvus). See
the genus accounts for more.
Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Corvidae&action=history