The Pseudo‐toothed Birds (Aves, Odontopterygiformes) and their Bearing on the Early Evolution of Modern Birds

Cenozoic mystery birds – on the phylogenetic affinities of bony‐toothed birds (Pelagornithidae)

“…2008; Mayr 2011). The analysis also confirms Bourdon’s (2005, 2011) hypothesis that pelagornithids are outside Neoaves, but does not support anseriform affinities.…”

“…Description of this character was modified by Bourdon (2011: 223) into ‘os exoccipitale, processus paroccipitalis: strongly protruding caudoventrally, caudally convex, with wide lateral side for origin of musculus depressor mandibulae; the processus is continuous with stout processus lateralis parasphenoidalis and ala parasphenoidalis so that the cavitas tympanica is deeply recessed’. Bourdon (2011: 233) noted that the character is absent in Anhimidae, a condition she considered autapomorphic for screamers. However, by not coding Anseriformes polymorphic, the analysis was actually biased towards recognition of this character as a synapomorphy of Pelagornithidae and Anseriformes.…”

“…I could not comprehend the meaning of the character description, and the character was not included in the present analysis. Bourdon (2011) noted that it is absent in Anhimidae and assigned Anseriformes and Pelagornithidae different states; homology of the anseriform and pelagornithid condition was then enforced by coding the character as ordered, thus biasing the analysis towards homology of the anseriform and pelagornithid character states.…”

“…Bourdon (2011) conducted another analysis, which included Mesozoic non‐neornithine birds ( Ichthyornis and Hesperornis ) and produced an even less likely result in that Galliformes resulted as sister taxon of palaeognathous birds, thus rendering not only Galloanseres but also Neognathae non‐monophyletic groups.…”

On the taxonomic composition and phylogenetic affinities of the recently proposed clade Vegaviidae Agnolín et al., 2017 ‒ neornithine birds from the Upper Cretaceous of the Southern Hemisphere

“…Even more importantly, none of the existing analyses included Pelagornithidae in the ingroup sample. These marine soaring birds exhibit the same key features that are used to support galloanserine affinities for vegaviids (Bourdon, 2005(Bourdon, , 2011Mayr, 2011b), and the mandibular articulation of Vegavis was likened to that of Pelagornithidae and Anatidae by Clarke et al (2016: Supplementary information).…”