2021/09/08 by Francisca Cunha Almeida, Ana Luz Porzecanski, Joël Cracraft +1 · 2 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Evolution and Paleontology Studies #Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology #Amphibian and Reptile Biology
paper · doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab080
openalex publication_date 2021/09/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Abstract The Neotropical tinamous are of particular interest in our efforts to understand the evolution of modern birds. They inhabit both forested and open environments and, although volant, have limited flight capabilities. Numerous studies have recognized the monophyly of tinamous and their relationships either as sister to the flightless ratites (ostriches, emus and their relatives) or within the ratites themselves. Despite the numerous bird phylogenies published recently, modern investigations of relationships within the tinamous themselves have been limited. Here, we present the first detailed phylogenetic analysis and divergence-date estimation including a significant number of tinamou species, both extant and fossil. The monophyly of most currently recognized polytypic genera is recovered with high support, with the exception of the paraphyletic Nothura and Nothoprocta. The traditional subdivision between those tinamous inhabiting open areas (Nothurinae) and forest environments (Tinaminae) is also confirmed. A temporal calibration of the resultant phylogeny estimates that the basal divergence of crown Tinamidae took place between 31 and 40 Mya.