The Evolution and Fossil Record of Palaeognathous Birds (Neornithes: Palaeognathae) by Klara Widrig, Daniel J. Field

“…Palaeognaths were once considered a classic illustration of diversification driven by Gondwanan vicariance, but this paradigm has been rejected in light of molecular phylogenetic and divergence time results from the last two decades that indicate that palaeognaths underwent multiple relatively recent transitions to flightlessness and large body size, reinvigorating research into their evolutionary origins and historical biogeography. …”
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