science

Mirandornithes

Mirandornithes is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mirandornithes rather than just read about it. In short: Mirandornithes () is a clade that consists of flamingos and grebes. Many scholars use the term Phoenicopterimorphae for the superorder containing flamingoes and grebes.

Key takeaways

Mirandornithes belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mirandornithes to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mirandornithes from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mirandornithes () is a clade that consists of flamingos and grebes. Many scholars use the term Phoenicopterimorphae for the superorder containing flamingoes and grebes. Determining the relationships between the two groups has been problematic. Flamingos had been placed with numerous branches within Neognathae, such as ducks and storks. The grebes had been placed with the loons. However, more recent genomic studies have confirmed these two branches as sister groups. Both primitive phoenicopteriformes and their closest relatives, the grebes, were highly aquatic. This indicates that the entire mirandornithe group evolved from aquatic, probably swimming ancestors.

Etymology The term was coined by Sangster in 2005 to describe the new clade discovered through molecular analyses. It is inspired by the Latin mirandus, meaning 'wonderful', and the Ancient Greek ὄρνῑς (órnīs, weak stem ὄρνῑθ- (órnīth-)), meaning 'bird'.

Synapomorphies According to Mayr (2004) and Sangster (2005), there are at least twelve distinct morphological synapomorphies that are unique to this clade:

"At least the fourth to seventh cervical vertebrae strongly elongate, with processus spinosus forming a marked ridge. Humerus with a marked oval depression at the insertion site of the musculus scapulohumeralis cranialis. At least 23 presacral vertebrae. At least four thoracic vertebrae fused to a notarium. Distal end of ulna with marked oval depression radialis. Phalanx proximalis digiti majoris is very elongate and narrow craniocaudally. Distal rim of condylus medialis of tibiotarsus distinctly notched. Pars acetabularis of musculus iliotibialis lateralis absent. Pars caudalis of musculus caudofemoralis absent. Wing with 12 primaries Left arteria carotis reduced or absent. Eggs covered with a chalky layer of amorphous calcium phosphate."

Systematics Some authors have used alternative names for Mirandornithes, such as Phoenicopterimorphae or include Podicipedidae as a family within Phoenicopteriformes. Other authors do not widely use either option, and Mirandornithes is preferred. The following phylogenetic tree depicts Mirandornithes as recovered by Torres and colleagues in 2015.

While various phylogenetic studies support the evidence for the sister grouping of flamingos and grebes, the placement of Mirandornithes has been less precise. Mayr (2004) conducted a morphological-based analysis on extant families. In his paper, Mayr found the then unnamed Mirandornithes to be part of a clade that included also loons and penguins, the former family being the sister lineage. Since 2004, however, this arrangement has not been supported, as with the advent of nuclear and mitochondrial genetic research, the placement of Mirandornithes has been placed all over the neoavian tree of life. The most common occurrences place the clade as either the basalmost branch of Neoaves, or as the sister taxon to Columbimorphae in a clade known as Columbea. A third option, one that has been the only constant correspondence between morphological and molecular studies of the placement of the clade, is a possible sister relationship to Charadriiformes.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mirandornithes

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mirandornithes claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mirandornithes before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mirandornithes ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mirandornithes

In research: Mirandornithes appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mirandornithes in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mirandornithes is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Neognathae, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mirandornithes outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mirandornithes in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mirandornithes means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mirandornithes out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mirandornithes in simple terms?

Mirandornithes () is a clade that consists of flamingos and grebes. Many scholars use the term Phoenicopterimorphae for the superorder containing flamingoes and grebes.

Why does Mirandornithes matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mirandornithes?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mirandornithes.