Cuculiformes
Cuculidae
Cuckoos
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This tree diagram shows the relationships between several groups of organisms.
The root of the current tree connects the organisms featured in this tree to their containing group and the rest of the Tree of Life. The basal branching point in the tree represents the ancestor of the other groups in the tree. This ancestor diversified over time into several descendent subgroups, which are represented as internal nodes and terminal taxa to the right.
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You can click on the root to travel down the Tree of Life all the way to the root of all Life, and you can click on the names of descendent subgroups to travel up the Tree of Life all the way to individual species.
For more information on ToL tree formatting, please see Interpreting the Tree or Classification. To learn more about phylogenetic trees, please visit our Phylogenetic Biology pages.
close boxRelationships after Sorenson & Payne 2005.
References
Aragon, S., A. P. Moller, J. J. Soler, and M. Soler. 1999. Molecular phylogeny of cuckoos supports a polyphyletic origin of brood parasitism. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 12(3):495-506.
Johnson, K. P., S. M. Goodman, and S. M. Lanyon. 2000. A phylogenetic study of the Malagasy couas with insights into cuckoo relationships. Mol. Phylogenet. and Evol. 14: 436–444.
Korzun, L. P., Erard, C., Gasc, J. P., and Dzerzhinsky, F. J. 2003. Biomechanical features of the bill and and jaw apparatus of cuckoos, turacos and the hoatzin in relation to food acquisition and processing. Ostrich 74(1-2):48-57.
Kruger, O. and N. B. Davies. 2002. The evolution of cuckoo parasitism: a comparative analysis. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B 269(1489):375-381.
Hughes, J. M. 1996. Phylogenetic analysis of the Cuculidae (Aves, Cuculiformes) using behavioral and ecological characters. Auk 113:10-22.
Hughes, J. M. 2000. Monophyly and phylogeny of cuckoos (Aves, Cuculidae) inferred from osteological characters. Zool. J. Linn. Soc. 130: 263-307.
Payne, R. B. 1997. Family Cuculidae (Cuckoos). Pages 508-607 in Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 4. J. del Hoyo, A. Elliott, and J. Sargatal, eds. BirdLife/Lynx Edixions, Barcelona.
Payne, R. B. 2005. The Cuckoos. Bird Families of the World XV. Oxford University Press, New York.
Posso, S. R. and R. J. Donatelli. 2006. Phylogenetic analysis of Cuculiformes (Aves) based on osteology, behavior and ecology: systematics and evolutionary implications. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 23(3):608-629.
Sorenson, M.D. and R.B. Payne. 2005. Molecular systematics: cuckoo phylogeny inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences. Pp. 68-94 in R.B. Payne. Bird Families of the World: Cuckoos. Oxford University Press.
Title Illustrations
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Scientific Name | Guira guira |
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Location | Brasilia - DF, Brazil |
Specimen Condition | Live Specimen |
Source | Anu-branco - Guira guira - Guira Cuckoo |
Source Collection | Flickr |
Copyright |
© 2005 Ciro Albano
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Scientific Name | Chrysococcyx basalis |
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Location | Jerrabomberra Wetlands, Canberra, ACT, Australia |
Specimen Condition | Live Specimen |
Source | Horsefield's Bronze-cuckoo |
Source Collection | Flickr |
Image Use |
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Copyright | © 2006 Julian Robinson |
Scientific Name | Centropus superciliosus |
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Location | Kruger National Park, South Africa |
Specimen Condition | Live Specimen |
Life Cycle Stage | juvenile |
Source | In the moring mist |
Source Collection | Flickr |
Copyright |
© 2006 Callie de Wet
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Page: Tree of Life
Cuculiformes. Cuculidae. Cuckoos.
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- First online 28 August 2007
- Content changed 28 August 2007
Citing this page:
Tree of Life Web Project. 2007. Cuculiformes. Cuculidae. Cuckoos. Version 28 August 2007 (temporary). http://tolweb.org/Cuculidae/26409/2007.08.28 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/