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Sibley-Monroe checklist 1

The Sibley-Munroe checklist was a landmark document in the study of birds. It drew on extensive DNA-DNA hybridisation studies to reassess the relationships between modern birds.

The Sibley-Munroe assignmemt of individual species to families and of families to orders remains controversial, however. Critics maintain that, while it marks a great leap forward so far as the evidence from DNA-DNA hybridisation goes, it pays insufficient attention to other forms of evidence, both molecular and on a larger scale. There is no true consensus, but the broad middle-ground position is that the Sibley-Monroe classification, overall, is "about 80% correct". The key question, of course, is which 80%?. Research and debate continues.

There are 9993 species on the checklist, and this page continues in several parts, which are linked to below.

Struthionidae

Rheidae Casuariidae Apterygidae Tinamidae Cracidae Megapodiidae Phasianidae Numididae Odontophoridae Continued at: Sibley-Monroe checklist 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18