Systematics and taxonomy. The taxonomy of the finch family, in particular the cardueline finches, has a long and complicated history. The study of the relationship between the taxa has been confounded by the recurrence of similar morphologies due to the convergence of species occupying similar niches. In 1968 the American ornithologist Raymond Andrew Paynter, Jr. wrote:

Starlings are medium-sized passerines. The shortest-bodied species is Kenrick's starling (Poeoptera kenricki), at 15 cm (6 in), but the lightest-weight species is Abbott's starling (Poeoptera femoralis), which is 34 g (1 + 1 ⁄ 4 oz). The largest starling, going on standard measurements and perhaps weight, is the Nias hill myna (Gracula robusta).This species can …

Taxonomy. The genus Falco was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. The type species is the Merlin (Falco columbarius). The genus name Falco is Late Latin meaning a "falcon" from falx, falcis, meaning "a sickle", referring to the claws of the bird. In Middle English and Old French, the title faucon refers generically to …

Systematics and evolution. Traditional systematics placed the geoemydids in the family Emydidae as the subfamily Batagurinae. In the 1980s, the subfamily was elevated to the family status and renamed to Geoemydidae according to the ICZN rules. Most fossil and molecular data support their close relationship to the family Testudinidae.

The Annonaceae are a family of flowering plants consisting of trees, shrubs, or rarely lianas commonly known as the custard apple family or soursop family.With 108 accepted genera and about 2400 known species, it is the largest family in the Magnoliales.Several genera produce edible fruit, most notably Annona, Anonidium, Asimina, Rollinia, and Uvaria.Its type genus is …

Taxonomy and systematics. The white-throated bulbul was originally described in the genus Trichophorus (a synonym for Criniger) until moved to the genus Alophoixus in 2009. Alternate names for the white-throated bulbul include the ashy-fronted bearded bulbul, ashy-fronted bulbul, white-throated bearded bulbul, and yellow-bellied bulbul.The alternate names 'ashy …

Description. Mousebirds are slender greyish or brown birds with soft, hairlike body feathers.They are typically about 10 cm (3.9 in) in body length, with a long, thin tail a further 20–24 cm (7.9–9.4 in) in length, and weigh 45–55 g (1.6–1.9 oz). They are arboreal and scurry through the leaves like rodents, in search of berries, fruit and buds.

Nematode systematics. Due to the lack of knowledge regarding many nematodes, their systematics is contentious. An early and influential classification was proposed by Chitwood and Chitwood —later revised by Chitwood —who divided the phylum into two classes—Aphasmidia and Phasmidia.

Systematics and taxonomy. The black kite was described by the French polymath Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon in his Histoire Naturelle des Oiseaux in 1770. The bird was also illustrated in a hand-coloured plate engraved by François-Nicolas Martinet in the Planches Enluminées D'Histoire Naturelle which was produced under the supervision of Edme-Louis …

Cladistics (/ k l ə ˈ d ɪ s t ɪ k s /; from Ancient Greek κλάδος (kládos) 'branch') is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry.The evidence for hypothesized relationships is typically shared derived characteristics (synapomorphies) that are not present in more distant …