Passerea

Passerea is a clade of neoavian birds that was proposed by Jarvis et al. (2014).^[3] Their genomic analysis recovered two major clades within Neoaves, Passerea and Columbea, and concluded that both clades appear to have many ecologically driven convergent traits.

Passerea Temporal range: Early Paleocene–Holocene 62–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Possible an early origin based on molecular clock[1]
Beautiful firetail (Stagonopleura bella)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Infraclass:	Neognathae
Clade:	Neoaves
Clade:	Passerea Jarvis et al., 2014
Clades
Strisores Opisthocomiformes Gruimorphae Phaethoquornithes Telluraves Otidimorphae (excluded in the Stiller et al. 2024 analysis)[2]

According to Jarvis (2014), these convergences include the foot-propelled diving trait of grebes in Columbea with loons and cormorants in Passerea; the wading-feeding trait of flamingos in Columbea with ibises and egrets in Passerea; and pigeons and sandgrouse in Columbea with shorebirds (killdeer) in Passerea. For Jarvis (2014), these long-known trait and morphological alliances suggest that some of the traditional nongenomic trait classifications are based on polyphyletic assemblages.

Passerea was not recovered in other studies.^[4][1]

Phylogeny

Cladogram of Passerea relationships based on Jarvis et al. (2014)^[3] with some clade names after Yuri et al. (2013)^[5] and Kimball et al. 2013.^[6]

Passerea

Otidae Strisores (hummingbirds, swifts, nightjars) Otidimorphae Cuculiformes (cuckoos) Musophagotides Otidiformes (bustards) Musophagiformes (turacos) Gruae Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Gruimorphae Gruiformes (rails & cranes) Charadriiformes (shorebirds) Phaethoquornithes Aequornithes (loons, penguins, herons, pelicans, storks, etc.) Eurypygimorphae Eurypygiformes (sunbittern, kagu) Phaethontiformes (tropicbirds) Telluraves Afroaves Accipitrimorphae Cathartiformes (New World vultures) Accipitriformes (eagles, hawks, Old World vultures, & kin) Strigiformes (owls) Coraciimorphae Coliiformes (mousebirds) Cavitaves Leptosomiformes (cuckoo-roller) Eucavitaves Trogoniformes (trogons) Picocoraciae Bucerotiformes (hornbills, hoopoe, & wood hoopoes) Picodynastornithes Coraciformes (kingfishers) Piciformes (woodpeckers, toucans, & kin) Australaves Cariamiformes (seriemas & terror birds) Eufalconimorphae Falconiformes (falcons) Psittacopasserae Psittaciformes (parrots) Passeriformes (songbirds & kin)

The following cladogram illustrates the proposed relationships between bird clades of Passerea. This consensus phylogeny of birds is based on phylogenomic data, reflecting a recent phylogenomic supertree analysis per Stiller et al. (2024).^[2]

Passerea

Elementaves Gruae Opisthocomiformes (hoatzin) Gruimorphae Gruiformes (rails and cranes) Charadriiformes (waders, gulls, and relatives) Strisores Caprimulgiformes (nightjars) Vanescaves Sedentaves Nyctibiiformes (potoos) Steatornithiformes (oilbirds) Letornithes Podargiformes (frogmouths) Apodimorphae Aegotheliformes (owlet-nightjars) Apodiformes (swifts, treeswifts and hummingbirds) Phaethoquornithes Eurypygimorphae Phaethontiformes (tropicbirds) Eurypygiformes (sunbittern and kagu) Aequornithes Gaviiformes (loons/divers) Feraequornithes Austrodyptornithes Procellariiformes (albatrosses, shearwaters, and petrels) Sphenisciformes (penguins) Pelecanimorphae Ciconiiformes (storks) Pelecanes Suliformes (frigatebirds, gannets, cormorants, and darters) Pelecaniformes (pelicans, herons and ibises) Telluraves Afroaves Hieraves Strigiformes (owls) Accipitriformes (hawks, eagles, vultures, and relatives) Coraciimorphae Coliiformes (mousebirds) Cavitaves Leptosomiformes (cuckoo roller) Eucavitaves Trogoniformes (trogons) Picocoraciae Bucerotiformes (hornbills, hoopoes and relatives) Picodynastornithes Coraciiformes (kingfishers, rollers, bee-eaters and relatives) Piciformes (woodpeckers and relatives) Australaves Cariamiformes (seriemas) Eufalconimorphae Falconiformes (falcons and caracaras) Psittacopasseres Psittaciformes (parrots) Passeriformes (passerines)