Osteological comparison of the Scrub-birds, Atrichornis, and Lyrebirds, Menura (Passeriformes: Atrichornithidae and Menuridae)
Abstract
Within Atrichornis the two species A. clamosus and A. rujescens are very similar overall, differing only in characters related to flightlessness, with A. clamosus appearing more volant than A. rujescens. Similarly, the two species within Menura are very similar overall, although M. novaehollandiae may be a stronger flyer than M. alberti. There are many differences between the genera Atrichornis and Menura, but the distribution of these character states across the order Passeriformes remains unstudied. What has been noted is that a suite of characters shared by Menura and Atrichornis, hitherto used to relate the Menurae to the Rhinocryptidae, are also shared by several other genera of birds from a variety of families. We suggest that these characters indicate convergence towards a terrestrial lifestyle and should not be used to indicate phylogenetic proximity.
