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Full-Text Articles in Poultry or Avian Science

A Baraminological Analysis Of The Landfowl (Aves: Galliformes), Timothy R. Brophy Jan 2021

A Baraminological Analysis Of The Landfowl (Aves: Galliformes), Timothy R. Brophy

Faculty Publications and Presentations

We performed a baraminological analysis on 60 extant landfowl taxa (Aves: Galliformes) using 102 morphological characters. Both baraminic distance correlation analysis and multidimensional scaling suggest the possibility of four holobaramins within the landfowl order: Megapodiidae, Cracidae, Numididae, and the remaining Phasianoidea. Hybridization, however, connects three of these holobaramins (six of the currently recognized families). Considering both sets of evidence, we conclude that the landfowl are composed of two holobaramins: Megapodiidae and [Phasianoidea + Cracidae]. The five currently recognized families in the superfamily Phasianoidea have, until recently, been considered subfamilies in a more broadly conceived family Phasianidae, so it should not …


Northern Saw-Whet Owls: A Descriptive Look At Their Anatomy, Behavior, And Migration, Brandon M. Ray Apr 2014

Northern Saw-Whet Owls: A Descriptive Look At Their Anatomy, Behavior, And Migration, Brandon M. Ray

Senior Honors Theses

The Northern Saw-whet Owl (Aegolius acadicus) is a small species of migratory owl native to North America. Through an analysis of research conducted at Liberty University’s Camp Hydaway in the Piedmont of Virginia as well as comparison studies at owl netting stations in the mountains and the coastal plain, it was shown that the Northern Saw-whet migrates along consistent routes southward while the timing and frequency of the migration varies by several days based on sex, age, owl population fluctuations, weather, and the owls’ physical health. Several years’ worth of owl capture data were compiled from stations across …