Galloanseres

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: ParaHoxozoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Olfactores
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Sauropsida
Classis: Reptilia
Cladus: Eureptilia
Cladus: Romeriida
Cladus: Diapsida
Cladus: Neodiapsida
Cladus: Sauria
Cladus: Archelosauria
Cladus: Archosauromorpha
Cladus: Crocopoda
Cladus: Archosauriformes
Cladus: Eucrocopoda
Cladus: Archosauria
Cladus: Avemetatarsalia
Cladus: Ornithodira
Cladus: Dinosauromorpha
Cladus: Dinosauriformes
Cladus: Dracohors
Cladus: Dinosauria
Cladus: Saurischia
Cladus: Theropoda
Cladus: Neotheropoda
Cladus: Averostra
Cladus: Tetanurae
Cladus: Avetheropoda
Cladus: Coelurosauria
Cladus: Tyrannoraptora
Cladus: Maniraptoromorpha
Cladus: Maniraptoriformes
Cladus: Maniraptora
Cladus: Pennaraptora
Cladus: Paraves
Cladus: Eumaniraptora
Cladus: Avialae
Subclassis: Aves
Cladus: Avebrevicauda
Cladus: Pygostylia
Cladus: Ornithothoraces
Cladus: Ornithuromorpha
Cladus: Carinatae
Cladus: Neornithes
Infraclassis: Neognathae
Cladus: Pangalloanserae
Cladus: Galloanseres

‎Classis: Reptilia
Subclassis: Aves
Infraclassis: Neognathae
Cladus: Pangalloanserae
Cladus: Galloanseres
Ordines: Anseriformes – Galliformes
Familiae incertae sedis: †Dromornithidae – †Gastornithidae – †Pelagornithidae – †Sylviornithidae – †Vegaviidae
secundum Sibley et al., 1988

Parvclassis: Galloanserae
Superordines: Anserimorphae – Gallomorphae
secundum Livezey, 1997

Superordo: Galloanserimorphae
Ordines: Anseriformes – Galliformes
secundum Worthy et al., 2017

Parvclassis: Galloanseres
Ordines: Anseriformes – Galliformes – †Gastornithiformes – †Vegaviiformes
Name

Galloanseres Sibley, Ahlquist & Monroe, 1988: 414
Synonyms

Galloanserae Sibley, Ahlquist & Monroe, 1988: 414
Galloanseres Mayr, 2009: 15
Galloanserimorphae Livezey, 1997: 398

References
Primary references

Sibley, C.G., Ahlquist, J.E. & Monroe, B.L., Jr. 1988. A classification of the living birds of the world based on DNA-DNA hybridization studies. The Auk 105(3): 409–423. DOI: 10.1093/auk/105.3.409 PDF Reference page.
Livezey, B.C. 1997. A phylogenetic analysis of basal Anseriformes, the fossil Presbyornis, and the interordinal relationships of waterfowl. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 121(4): 361–428. DOI: 10.1111/J.1096-3642.1997.TB01285.X Open access Reference page.
Mayr, G. 2009. Paleogene Fossil Birds. Springer-Verlag: Berlin. ISBN 978-3-540-89628-9. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-89628-9 Reference page.

Additional references

Worthy, T.H., Degrange, F.J., Handley, W.D. & Lee, M.S.Y. 2017. The evolution of giant flightless birds and novel phylogenetic relationships for extinct fowl (Aves, Galloanseres). Royal Society Open Science 4: 170975. DOI: 10.1098/rsos.170975 Reference page.

Vernacular names

English: Fowl 日本語: キジカモ類

Fowl are birds belonging to one of two biological orders, namely the gamefowl or landfowl (Galliformes) and the waterfowl (Anseriformes). Anatomical and molecular similarities suggest these two groups are close evolutionary relatives; together, they form the fowl clade which is scientifically known as Galloanserae or Galloanseres (initially termed Galloanseri) (Latin gallus ("rooster") + ānser ("goose")).[3] This clade is also supported by morphological and DNA sequence data[4] as well as retrotransposon presence/absence data.[5]
Terminology

As opposed to "fowl", "poultry" is a term for any kind of domesticated bird or bird captive-raised for meat, eggs, or feathers; ostriches, for example, are sometimes kept as poultry, but are neither gamefowl nor waterfowl. In colloquial speech, however, the term "fowl" is often used near-synonymously with "poultry", and many languages do not distinguish between "poultry" and "fowl". Nonetheless, the fact that the Galliformes and Anseriformes most likely form a monophyletic group makes a distinction between "fowl" and "poultry" warranted.

The historic difference in English is due to the Germanic/Latin split word pairs characteristic of Middle English; the word 'fowl' is of Germanic origin (cf. Old English "fugol", West Frisian fûgel, Dutch vogel, German Vogel, Swedish fågel, Danish/Norwegian fugl), whilst 'poultry' is of Latin pullus ("chicken") via Norman French origin poule ("chicken");[6][7] the presence of an initial /p/ in poultry and an initial /f/ in fowl is due to Grimm's Law.

Many birds that are eaten by humans are fowl, including poultry such as chickens or turkeys, game birds such as pheasants or partridges, other wildfowl like guineafowl or peafowl, and waterfowl such as ducks or geese.
Characteristics

While they are quite diverse ecologically and consequently, in an adaptation to their different lifestyles, also morphologically and ethologically, some features still unite water- and landfowl. Many of these, however, are plesiomorphic for Neornithes as a whole, and are also shared with paleognaths.[citation needed]

Galloanserae are very prolific; they regularly produce clutches of more than five or even more than 10 eggs, which is a lot for such sizeable birds. By comparison, birds of prey and pigeons rarely lay more than two eggs.
While most living birds are monogamous, at least for a breeding season, many Galloanserae are notoriously polygynous or polyandrous. To ornithologists, this is particularly well known in dabbling ducks, where the males band together occasionally to forcefully mate with unwilling females. The general public is probably most familiar with the polygynous habits of domestic chickens, where usually one or two roosters are kept with a whole flock of females.
Hybridization is extremely frequent in the Galloanserae, and genera, not usually known to produce viable hybrids in birds, can be brought to interbreed with comparative ease. Guineafowl have successfully produced hybrids with domestic fowl and Indian peafowl, to which they are not particularly closely related as Galliformes go. This is an important factor complicating mtDNA sequence-based research on their relationships. The mallards of North America, for example, are apparently mostly derived from some males which arrived from Siberia, settled down, and mated with American black duck ancestors.[8] See also Gamebird hybrids.
Galloanserae young are remarkably precocious. Anseriform young are able to swim and dive a few hours after hatching, and the hatchlings of mound-builders (megapodes) are fully feathered and even able to fly for prolonged distances as soon as they emerge from the nest mound.

Systematics and evolution

From the fossils that have been recovered, the conclusion that the Galloanserae were already widespread by the end of the Cretaceous is generally accepted. A combination of fossils and molecular clocks estimated the origin of Galloanserae at 85 million years ago.[9] Fossils such as Vegavis indicate that essentially modern waterfowl, albeit belonging to a now-extinct lineage, were contemporaries of the non-avian dinosaurs. While the dominant avialans of the Mesozoic Era, the Enantiornithes, died out with all other non-avian dinosaurs, the Galloanserae (fowl) survived to become the first successful group of modern birds after the other dinosaurs died out.

As opposed to the morphologically fairly conservative Galliformes, the Anseriformes have adapted to filter-feeding and are characterized by many autapomorphies related to this lifestyle. The extremely advanced feeding systems of the Anseriformes, together with similarities of the early anseriform Presbyornis to shorebirds, had formerly prompted some scientists to ally Anseriformes with Charadriiformes, instead.[10][11] However, as strong support for the Galloanserae has emerged in subsequent studies, the fowl clade continues to be accepted as a genuine evolutionary lineage by the vast majority of scientists.
Relationship with humans
Spiritual meanings and representations

Fowl have deep spiritual meanings and roots in ancient cultures, such as Hinduism in India and in many Pagan cultures throughout the world. The peacock, for example, represents truth, beauty, honor, and strength and dreams of peacocks are referred to as good omens.[12]
As food

Fowl are frequently kept for both meat and eggs. Chickens, by far, are the most heavily consumed and farmed out of all of them. Other fowl commonly used in cooking include ducks, geese, turkeys and quail.
As game

Various species of fowl are hunted for both sport and food. Pheasants have been widely introduced and naturalized outside of their native range in Asia to Europe and North America for use as food and sport.[13]
References

Elzanowski, A.; Stidham, T.A. (2011). "A Galloanserine Quadrate from the Late Cretaceous Lance Formation of Wyoming". The Auk. 128 (1): 138–145. doi:10.1525/auk.2011.10113.
Kuhl., H.; Frankl-Vilches, C.; Bakker, A.; Mayr, G.; Nikolaus, G.; Boerno, S. T.; Klages, S.; Timmermann, B.; Gahr, M. (2020). "An unbiased molecular approach using 3'UTRs resolves the avian family-level tree of life". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 38: 108–127. doi:10.1093/molbev/msaa191. PMC 7783168. PMID 32781465.
Sibley, C, Ahlquist, J. & Monroe, B. (1988)
Chubb, A. (2004)
Kriegs et al. (2007)
"Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
"Online Etymology Dictionary". Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2013-02-22.
Kulikova, I. et al. (2005)
Claramunt, S.; Cracraft, J. (2015). "A new time tree reveals Earth history's imprint on the evolution of modern birds". Science Advances. 1 (11): e1501005. Bibcode:2015SciA....1E1005C. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1501005. PMC 4730849. PMID 26824065.
Benson, D. (1999)
Feduccia, A. (1999)
"Chicken Symbolism, Dreams, and Messages". Spirit Animal Totems. 2013-11-25. Retrieved 2021-05-03.

"Game birds, facts and photos". National Geographic Society. 23 November 2022.