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Cuculidae

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Description

The cuckoos are a family of birds, Cuculidae, the sole taxon in the order Cuculiformes. The cuckoo family includes the common or European cuckoo, roadrunners, koels, malkohas, couas, coucals and anis. The coucals and anis are sometimes separated as distinct families, the Centropodidae and Crotophagidae respectively. The cuckoo order Cuculiformes is one of three that make up the Otidimorphae, the other two being the turacos and the bustards.

From Wikipedia article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuculidae, which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.

Source Data

Source	ID	Link
Global Biodiversity Information Facility ID (GBIF)	9309	https://www.gbif.org/species/9309
PaleoBioDB ID (PBDB)	39312	https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=39312

Rank

family

Taxonomy (GBIF,PBDB)

Life : Animalia : Chordata : Aves : Cuculiformes : Cuculidae

Taxonomic Status (GBIF)

accepted

Classification
(PBDB,GBIF)

Rank	Name	Author
-	Eukaryota
-	Opisthokonta	Cavalier-Smith 1987
kingdom	Animalia
-	Triploblastica	Lankester 1877
-	Nephrozoa	Jondelius et al. 2002
-	Deuterostomia	Grobben 1908
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1847
subphylum	Vertebrata	Lamarck 1801
superclass	Gnathostomata	Gegenbauer 1874
-	Osteichthyes
-	Sarcopterygii	Romer 1955
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha
-	Tetrapoda
-	Reptiliomorpha	Säve-Söderbergh 1934
-	Anthracosauria	Säve-Söderbergh 1934
-	Batrachosauria
-	Cotylosauria
-	Amniota	Haeckel 1866
-	Sauropsida	Huxley 1864
class	Reptilia	Laurenti 1768
subclass	Eureptilia
-	Romeriida	Gauthier et al. 1988
-	Diapsida
-	Eosuchia
-	Neodiapsida	Benton 1985
-	Sauria	Gauthier 1984
-	Archosauromorpha
-	Crocopoda	Ezcurra 2016
-	Archosauriformes	Gauthier 1986
-	Eucrocopoda	Ezcurra 2016
-	Archosauria
informal	Avemetatarsalia	Benton 1999
-	Ornithodira	Gauthier 1986
-	Dinosauromorpha	Benton 1985
-	Dinosauriformes	Novas 1992
-	Dinosauria
-	Saurischia
-	Theropoda
-	Neotheropoda	Bakker 1986
-	Averostra	Paul 2002
-	Tetanurae	Gauthier 1986
order	Avetheropoda	Paul 1988
suborder	Coelurosauria	Huene 1914
-	Maniraptora	Gauthier 1986
-	Paraves	Sereno 1997
class	Aves	Linnaeus 1758
-	Pygostylia	Chiappe 2002
-	Ornithothoraces	Chiappe and Calvo 1994
-	Ornithuromorpha	Chiappe et al. 1999
subclass	Ornithurae	Haeckel 1866
subclass	Neornithes	Gadow 1893
-	Neognathae
-	Neoaves	Sibley et al. 1988
-	Terrestrornithes	Livezey and Zusi 2007
-	Dendrornithes
-	Anomalogonates	Garrod 1874
-	Coccyges	Huxley 1867
superorder	Cuculimorphae	Sibley et al. 1988
order	Cuculiformes	Wagler 1830
family	Cuculidae	Leach 1820

Common Name

cuckoo

Scientific Name

Cuculidae

Opinions (PBDB)

Name	Rank	Opinion	Evidence	Author
Cuculidae	family	belongs to Cuculi	stated without evidence	Lambrecht, 1933
Cuculidae	family	belongs to Cuculiformes	stated without evidence	Olson, 1975
Cuculidae	family	belongs to Cuculiformes	implied	Carroll, 1988
Cuculidae	family	belongs to Cuculiformes	stated without evidence	Mayr, 2006
Cuculidae	family	belongs to Cuculi	stated with evidence	Livezey and Zusi, 2007
Cuculidae	family	belongs to Cuculiformes	stated without evidence	Steadman, 2008
Cuculidae	family	belongs to Cuculiformes	stated with evidence	Clements et al., 2017

Status (PBDB)

extant

Taxon Size (PBDB)

Extant Size (PBDB)

39 (64%)

First Recorded Appearance

58.7 - 48.6 Ma
Paleogene

Environment

terrestrial

Motility

actively mobile (based on Theropoda)

Diet

insectivore

Reproduction

oviparous, dispersal=direct/internal,mobile (based on Theropoda)

Ontogeny

accretion,modification of parts (based on Theropoda)

Taphonomy

hydroxylapatite,compact or dense (based on Theropoda)

Primary Reference (PBDB)

R. L. Carroll. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution

Common Name(s)

Anis, Cuckoos, Roadrunners, Cuckoo, Gökar, Ob. Gök, Koekoeken, Coucals, Gaukefamilien, Gjøkefamilien

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuculidae

External Images

Fossil Distribution

Subtaxa

Name	Status	Common Name(s)	Fossil Occurrences	Oldest	Youngest
Centropodinae subfamily	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Crotophaginae subfamily	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Cuculinae subfamily	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Neomorphinae subfamily	listed (PBDB)		1	20.4 Ma Miocene	0 Ma Extant
Phaenicophacinae subfamily	listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Cacomantis genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		3	0.13 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Caliechthrus genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Carpococcyx genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Centrococcyx genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Centropus genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		4	38.0 Ma Eocene	0 Ma Extant
Cercococcyx genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Ceuthmochares genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Chalcites genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Chrysococcyx genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		3	0.13 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Clamator genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Coccystes genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Coccyzus genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		19	1.81 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Coua genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Coua	16	0.13 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Crotophaga genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		3	0.01 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Cuculus genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		5	1.81 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Cursoricoccyx ✝ genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		1	20.4 Ma Miocene	20.4 Ma Miocene
Dasylophus genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Dromococcyx genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)				0 Ma Extant
Dynamopterus ✝ genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		4	48.6 Ma Eocene	33.9 Ma Oligocene
Dynamopteryx ✝ genus	doubtful (GBIF) listed (PBDB)
Eocuculus ✝ genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		2	37.2 Ma Eocene	33.9 Ma Oligocene
Eudynamys genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Koel			0 Ma Extant
Eutreptodactylus ✝ genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		1	58.7 Ma Paleocene	58.7 Ma Paleocene
Geococcyx genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		6	0.13 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Guira genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Hyetornis genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Lamprococcyx genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Lepidogrammus genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Microdynamis genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Morococcyx genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		1	0.01 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Nannococcyx ✝ genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		1	0.01 Ma Pleistocene	0.01 Ma Pleistocene
Necrornis ✝ genus	doubtful (GBIF) listed (PBDB)
Neococcyx ✝ genus	doubtful (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		1	37.2 Ma Eocene	37.2 Ma Eocene
Neomorphus genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Pachycoccyx genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Penthoceryx genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Phaenicophaeus genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Piaya genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Pyrrhocentor genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Pyrrhococcyx genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Rhamphomantis genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Rhinortha genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Rhopodytes genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Saurothera genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Scythrops genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Surniculus genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Taccocua genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Tapera genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Thelazomenus genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Thomasococcyx ✝ genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)	Cuckoo	1	20.4 Ma Miocene	20.4 Ma Miocene
Urodynamis genus	accepted (GBIF) listed (PBDB)		9	0.01 Ma Pleistocene	0 Ma Extant
Zanclostomus genus	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Cercoccyx mechowi species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB
Cuculux velox species	accepted (GBIF)	No associated record in PBDB

Synonymy List

Year	Name and Author
1820	Cuculidae Leach
1933	Cuculidae Lambrecht p. 605
1975	Cuculidae Olson p. 31
1988	Cuculidae Carroll
2006	Cuculidae Mayr p. 866
2007	Cuculidae Livezey and Zusi p. 93
2008	Cuculidae Steadman
2014	Cuculidae del Hoyo et al.
2017	Cuculidae Clements et al.

References

Carroll R. L. (1988) , Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution, 1-698

Lambrecht K. (1933) Handbuch der Palaeornithologie, 1-1024

Olson S. L. (1975) Paleornithology of St. Helena Island, South Atlantic Ocean, Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 23, 1-49

Mayr G. (2006) A specimen of Eocuculus Chandler, 1999 (Aves, ? Cuculidae) from the early Oligocene of France, Geobios 39 6, 865-872

Livezey B. C., Zusi R. L. (2007) Higher-order phylogeny of modern birds (Theropoda, Aves: Neornithes) based on comparative anatomy. II. Analysis and discussion, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 149 1, 1-95

Steadman D. W. (2008) Doves (Columbidae) and cuckoos (Cuculidae) from the early Miocene of Florida, Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History 48 1, 1-16

del Hoyo J., Collar N. J., et al (2014) HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 1: Non-passerines, 1-904

Clements J. F., Schulenberg T. S., et al (2017) , The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2017

Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, A. L. Gardner, and W. C. Starnes, 2003: null. Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada. - via Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

Banks, R. C., R. W. McDiarmid, and A. L. Gardner, 1987: Checklist of Vertebrates of the United States, the U.S. Territories, and Canada. Resource Publication, no. 166. 79. - via Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS)

Gärdenfors, Ulf, Hall, Ragnar, Hallingbäck, Tomas, Hansson, Hans G. & Hedström, Lars (2003) Djur, svampar och växter i Sverige 2003. Förteckning över antal arter per familj. ArtDatabanken Rapporterar 5, ArtDatabanken, Uppsala. (reviderad excelfil med svenska djurfamiljer). - via Dyntaxa. Svensk taxonomisk databas

Benton, M.J. (ed). (1993). The Fossil Record 2. Chapman & Hall, London, 845 pp. - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera

Parker, S.P. (ed). (1982). Synopsis and Classification of Living Organisms. McGraw-Hill, New York. 2 volumes. - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera

Data courtesy of: PBDB: The Paleobiology Database, Creative Commons CC-BY licenced. , GBIF: the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, various licences, iDigBio, various licences, and EOL: The Encyclopedia of Life (Open Data Public Domain). Because fossils are made of minerals too!

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