Cariamae

Rotfußseriema ( Cariama cristata )

• South, Central and North America
• Germany & France
• Morocco
• Antarctic

The Cariamiformes are an order of birds, the only one extant family, the Seriemas ( Cariamidae ), with two species, the Rotfußseriema ( Cariama cristata ) and the Schwarzfußseriema ( Chunga burmeisteri ) belongs. Both come in the middle South America before, are medium-sized birds and live mostly as fast, mainly carnivorous nourishing runner on the ground, but are still airworthy. In addition to the Seriemas Cariamiformes be assigned to some extinct bird families, including the sometimes huge, flightless Phorusrhaciden as well as some basal genera without family assignment.

Features

The Cariamiformes are or were medium-sized to very large, exclusively to predominantly live in the soil, long legged birds that primarily carnivorous or malnourished as scavengers and feed ( the stomach obtained in the holotype of Strigogyps SAPEa however, contains plant remains ). Its characteristic features include a bony prominence above the eye socket ( " supra-orbital process" ), a short Carpometacarpus ( a bone of fused carpal and metacarpal bones), a large distance between the metacarpal bones, a clear, ventrally oriented nodules located on the back towards you end of the bent small metacarpal bone and cuboid Hypotarsus ( the bone ridge at the rear side of the bird's foot ) without grooves for the flexor tendons of the toes.

Inside systematics

• Itaboravis? , South America, †
• Elaphrocnemus, Europe, †
• Seriemas ( Cariamidae ), South America
• Ameghinornithidae, Europe, †
• Bathornithidae, North America, †
• Idiornithidae, Europe, †
• Phorusrhacidae, South America, †
• Salmilidae, Europe, †
• Gradiornis, Europe, †

System

The Cariamiformes 1888 were initially set up as subordination Cariamae by the German ornithologist Max Fürbringer and assigned to the crane birds ( Gruiformes ). This assignment had been investigated and confirmed never more detail in the following period. With the advent of cladistics and the method of comparison for the determination of DNA relatedness among more and more doubts about the relationship between Seriemas and cranes came on. Mid-2008 was published an extensive phylogenetic study, the Seriemas in a sister group relationship with one of the hawks ( Falconiformes ), parrots ( Psittaciformes ) and passerines ( Passeriformes ) formed clade provides that the term Australavis received in 2011. Meanwhile, the Cariamiformes were elevated to the rank of order.