Anseranatidae

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Magpie-geese
Temporal range:
Ma
possible Late Cretaceous record
Modern magpie goose, Anseranas semipalmata
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Anseriformes
Superfamily: Anseranatoidea
Sclater, 1880
Family: Anseranatidae
Sclater, 1880
Type species
Anseranas semipalmata
, 1798
Genera

Anseranatidae, the magpie-geese, is a biological family of

waterbirds. The only living species, the magpie goose, is a resident breeder in northern Australia and in southern New Guinea
.

Systematics and evolution

This family is placed in the

Anhimidae (screamers) and Anatidae (ducks, geese and swans), contain all the other taxa.[1]

A cladistic study of the morphology of waterfowl found that the magpie goose was an early and distinctive offshoot, diverging after screamers and before all other ducks, geese and swans.[2]

This family is quite old, a

Eoanseranas handae. It is represented by fossils found in the late Oligocene Carl Creek Limestone of Queensland. Additional fossils from North America and Europe suggest that the family was spread across the globe during the late Paleogene period.[4]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Anseranatidae.
  1. ^ Myers, P.; Espinosa, R.; Parr, C.S.; Jones, T.; Hammond, G.S. & Dewey, T.A. (2008): Animal Diversity Web – Family Anseranatidae.
  2. Auk
    . 103 (4): 737–754.
  3. doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2003.01.002
    .
  4. doi:10.1671/039.029.0103
    .


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