Neoaves

Neoavians Temporal range: Late Cretaceous – Holocene, 75–0 Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N [1]
Common starling (Sturnus vulgaris)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Infraclass:	Neognathae
Superorder:	Neoaves Sibley et al., 1988
Clades
Columbea Passerea

Neoaves is a clade that consists of all modern birds (Neornithes or Aves) with the exception of Paleognathae (ratites and kin) and Galloanserae (ducks, chickens and kin). The early diversification of the various neoavian groups occurred very rapidly, and attempts to resolve their relationships with each other have resulted initially in much controversy.^[2][3]

One hypothesis of the cladogram of modern birds relationships based on Jarvis, E.D. et al. (2014)^[4] with some clade names after Yury, T. et al. (2013).^[5]

Neoaves

Columbea Mirandornithes (flamingos and grebes) Columbimorphae Columbiformes (pigeons) Mesitornithiformes (mesites) Pteroclidiformes (sandgrouse) Passerea Otidae Cypselomorphae (hummingbirds, swifts) Otidimorphae Cuculiformes (cuckoos) Otidiformes (bustards) Musophagiformes (turacos) Gruae Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Gruimorphae Gruiformes (rails and cranes) Charadriiformes (shorebirds) Ardeae Aequornithes (loons, penguins, herons, pelicans, storks, etc) Eurypgimorphae Eurypygiformes (sunbittern, kagu) Phaethontiformes (tropicbirds) Telluraves Afroaves Accipitrimorphae Cathartiformes Accipitriformes Strigiformes (owls) Coraciimorphae Coliiformes (mousebirds) Eucavitaves Leptosomatiformes (cuckoo roller) Cavitaves Trogoniformes (trogons) Picocoraciae Bucerotiformes (hornbills, hoopoe and wood hoopoes) Picodynastornithes Coraciiformes Piciformes Australaves Cariamiformes (seriemas) Eufalconimorphae Falconiformes (falcons) Psittacopasserae Psittaciformes (parrots) Passeriformes (songbirds and kin)

The other hypothesis of the cladogram of modern birds relationships based on Prum et al. (2015).^[6]

Neoaves	Cypselomorphae (hummingbirds, swifts, and nightbirds) Columbaves (pigeons, bustards and cuckoos) Gruiformes (cranes and rails) Aequorlitornithes (core waterbirds) Inopinaves Opisthocomiformes (Hoatzin) Telluraves (core landbirds)

References

1. Van Tuinen M. (2009) Birds (Aves). In The Timetree of Life, Hedges SB, Kumar S (eds). Oxford: Oxford University Press; 409–411.
2. Mayr G. (2011) Metaves, Mirandornithes, Strisores and other novelties - a critical review of the higher-level phylogeny of neornithine birds. J Zool Syst Evol Res. 49:58-76.
3. Matzke, A. et al. (2012) Retroposon insertion patterns of neoavian birds: strong evidence for an extensive incomplete lineage sorting era Mol. Biol. Evol.
4. Jarvis, E.D. et al. (2014) Whole-genome analyses resolve early branches in the tree of life of modern birds. Science, 346(6215):1320-1331.
5. Yuri, T. et al. (2013) Parsimony and Model-Based Analyses of Indels in Avian Nuclear Genes Reveal Congruent and Incongruent Phylogenetic Signals. Biology, 2(1):419-444. doi:10.3390/biology2010419
6. Prum, R. O. et al. A comprehensive phylogeny of birds (Aves) using targeted next-generation DNA sequencing. Nature (2015). doi:10.1038/nature15697