Suliformes

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

The order Suliformes (, dubbed "Phalacrocoraciformes" by Christidis & Boles 2008) is an order of birds that includes gannets, boobies, frigatebirds, cormorants and darters. The order is recognised by the International Ornithologist's Union. Regarding the recent evidence that the traditional Pelecaniformes is polyphyletic, it has been suggested that the group be divided to reflect the true evolutionary relationships; a 2017 study indicated that they are most closely related to Otidiformes (bustards) and Ciconiiformes (storks).

Systematics and evolution Of the families in Pelecaniformes, only Pelecanidae, Balaenicipitidae, and Scopidae remain. The tropicbird family Phaethontidae has since been moved to their order Phaethontiformes. Genetic analysis seems to show that the Pelecaniformes are actually closely related to the Ardeidae and Threskiornithidae. As for the Suliformes, they are distantly related to the current Pelecaniformes. According to Hackett et al. (2008), loons, penguins, storks, and as well as Suliformes and Pelecaniformes, all seem to have evolved from a common ancestor. The proposed waterbird superorder has been suggested. In their landmark 2008 work Systematics and Taxonomy of Australian Birds, Australian ornithologists Les Christidis and Walter E. Boles coined the name Phalacrocoraciformes for the group due to the much greater number of species of cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae) over boobies and gannets (Sulidae). However, this has not been taken up elsewhere. In 1994, American ornithologist Walter J. Bock wrote that the name Suloidea had been used consistently as a term for a superfamily containing the two families, so therefore "Sulidae" and not "Phalacrocoracidae" should take priority in any arrangement containing the two genera. In 2010, the AOU adopted the term Suliformes for the taxon. The IOC followed in 2011. In 1994, Martyn Kennedy and colleagues constructed a behavioural data set, with the resulting tree showing a high level of congruence with existing phylogenies based on genetics or morphology. It showed the darters as sister group to the cormorants and shags, with the gannets and boobies, then pelicans, then frigatebirds and lastly tropicbirds as progressively earlier offshoots.

Cladogram based on Gibb, G.C. et al. (2013)

Species

Fregatidae Magnificent frigatebird or man o'war, Fregata magnificens Ascension frigatebird, Fregata aquila Christmas Island frigatebird, Fregata andrewsi Great frigatebird, Fregata minor Lesser frigatebird, Fregata ariel Sulidae Blue-footed booby, Sula nebouxii Peruvian booby, Sula variegata Masked booby, Sula dactylatra Nazca booby, Sula granti Red-footed booby, Sula sula Brown booby, Sula leucogaster Cocos booby, Sula brewsteri Abbott's booby, Papasula abbotti Northern gannet, Morus bassanus Cape gannet, Morus capensis Australasian gannet, Morus serrator

Phalacrocoracidae Pygmy cormorant, Microcarbo pygmaeus Reed cormorant, Microcarbo africanus Crowned cormorant, Microcarbo coronatus Little cormorant, Microcarbo niger Little pied cormorant, Microcarbo melanoleucos Brandt's cormorant, Urile penicillatus Red-faced cormorant, Urile urile Pelagic cormorant, Urile pelagicus † Spectacled cormorant, Urile perspicillatus (extinct) Red-legged cormorant, Poilkilocarbo gaimardi Bank cormorant, Phalacrocorax neglectus Socotra cormorant, Phalacrocorax nigrogularis Pitt shag, Phalacrocorax featherstoni Spotted shag, Phalacrocorax punctatus Black-faced cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscescens Australian pied cormorant, Phalacrocorax varius Little black cormorant, Phalacrocorax sulcirostris Indian cormorant, Phalacrocorax fuscicollis Cape cormorant, Phalacrocorax capensis Japanese cormorant, Phalacrocorax capillatus White-breasted cormorant, Phalacrocorax lucidus Great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo European shag, Gulosus aristotelis Flightless cormorant, Nannopterum harrisi Neotropic cormorant, Nannopterum brasilianum Double-crested cormorant, Nannopterum auritum Rock shag, Leucocarbo magellanicus Guanay cormorant, Leucocarbo bougainvillii Bounty shag, Leucocarbo ranfurlyi New Zealand king shag, Leucocarbo carunculatus Chatham shag, Leucocarbo onslowi Otago shag, Leucocarbo chalconotus Foveaux shag, Leucocarbo stewarti Auckland shag, Leucocarbo colensoi Campbell shag, Leucocarbo campbelli Imperial shag, Leucocarbo atriceps South Georgia shag, Leucocarbo georgianus Crozet shag, Leucocarbo melanogenis Antarctic shag, Leucocarbo bransfieldensis Kerguelen shag, Leucocarbo verrucosus Heard Island shag, Leucocarbo nivalis Macquarie shag, Leucocarbo purpurascens Anhingidae Anhinga or American darter, Anhinga anhinga Oriental darter or Indian darter, Anhinga melanogaster African darter, Anhinga rufa Australasian darter or Australian darter, Anhinga novaehollandiae

References

Illustrations

Suliformes: Bones of the left foot of Fregata aquila showing pectinate edge to mid claw,[11] a characteristic of the Suliformes.[12] — Bones of the left foot of Fregata aquila showing pectinate edge to mid claw,[11] a characteristic of the Suliformes.[12]

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Suliformes

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Suliformes 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 Suliformes 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 Suliformes 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 Suliformes

In research: Suliformes 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 Suliformes 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: Suliformes is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Bird orders, Seabirds, Suliformes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Suliformes 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.

How to study Suliformes in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Suliformes 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 Suliformes out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Suliformes in simple terms?

The order Suliformes (, dubbed "Phalacrocoraciformes" by Christidis & Boles 2008) is an order of birds that includes gannets, boobies, frigatebirds, cormorants and darters. The order is recognised by the International Ornithologist's Union.

Why does Suliformes 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 Suliformes?

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 Suliformes.