Casuariidae

The bird family Casuariidae /kæsjuːəˈraɪ.ɪdiː/ has four surviving members: the three species of cassowary and the emu.

Casuariidae
Southern cassowary
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Infraclass:	Palaeognathae
Order:	Casuariiformes
Family:	Casuariidae Kaup, 1847[1]
Genera
Casuarius Brisson, 1760 Dromaius Vieillot, 1816 †Emuarius Boles, 1992
Diversity
2-3 genera, 6-7 species

All living members of the family are very large flightless birds native to Australia-New Guinea.^[2]

Species

• † Emuarius Boles, 1992 (emuwaries) (Late Oligocene – Late Miocene)
  • † E. gidju (Patterson & Rich 1987) Boles, 1992
  • † E. guljaruba Boles, 2001
• Casuarius Brisson, 1760 (cassowary)
  • † C. lydekkeri Rothschild, 1911 (Pygmy cassowary)
  • C. casuarius (Linnaeus, 1758) (Southern cassowary)
  • C. unappendiculatus Blyth, 1860 (Northern cassowary)
  • C. bennetti Gould, 1857 (Dwarf Cassowary)
    • C. b. westermanni (Sclater, 1874) (Papuan dwarf cassowary)
    • C. b. bennetti Gould, 1857 (Bennett's cassowary)
• Dromaius Vieillot, 1816 (emu)
  • †D. arleyekweke Yates & Worthy 2019
  • †D. ocypus Miller 1963
  • D. novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790) (Emu)
    • †D. n. diemenensis Le Souef, 1907 (Tasmanian emu)
    • †D. n. minor Spencer, 1906 (King Island emu)
    • †D. n. baudinianus Parker, SA, 1984 (Kangaroo Island emu)
    • D. n. novaehollandiae (Latham, 1790) (Emu)

Systematics and evolution

See also: List of paleognaths

The fossil record of casuariforms is interesting, but not very extensive.

Some Australian fossils initially believed to be from emus were recognized to represent a distinct genus, Emuarius,^[3] which had a cassowary-like skull and femur and an emu-like lower leg and foot.