The fossil record and recent molecular phylogenies support an extraordinary early-Cenozoic
radiation of crown birds (Neornithes) after the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction�…

The extant diversity of the avian clade Palaeognathae is composed of the iconic flightless
ratites (ostriches, rheas, kiwi, emus, and cassowaries), and the volant tinamous of Central�…

The effect of the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg)(formerly Cretaceous–Tertiary, K–T) mass
extinction on avian evolution is debated, primarily because of the poor fossil record of Late�…

Evidence is accumulating for a rapid diversification of birds following the K–Pg extinction.
Recent molecular divergence dating studies suggest that birds radiated explosively during�…

Reconstructing relationships among extant birds (Neornithes) has been one of the most
difficult problems in phylogenetics, and, despite intensive effort, the avian tree of life remains�…

The early evolution of living birds has been sharply debated, with two disparate
interpretations. Molecular-clock studies consistently date the emergence of modern bird�…

The Early Cretaceous is a critical interval in the early history of birds. Exceptional fossils
indicate that important evolutionary novelties such as a pygostyle and a keeled sternum had�…

Our understanding of the earliest stages of crown bird evolution is hindered by an
exceedingly sparse avian fossil record from the Mesozoic era. The most ancient�…

The phylogeny and divergence timing of the Neoavian radiation remain controversial
despite recent progress. We analyzed the genomes of 124 species across all Neoavian�…

The pattern, timing and extent of the evolutionary radiation of anatomically modern birds
(Neornithes) remains contentious: dramatically different timescales for this major event in�…