The evolution of Tinamous (Palaeognathae: Tinamidae) in the light of combined analysis of molecular and morphologic data

Tinamous, one of the earliest diverging living avian lineages, consists of a Neotropical clade of birds inhabiting both forested and open environments. Although volant, the flight capabilities of these birds are limited. Numerous studies have recognized the monophyly of tinamous and their relationships to the flightless ratites (ostriches, emus and their relatives), placing both groups within Palaeognathae, a sister clade to all extant birds. In spite of this body of work, the phylogenetic relationships among species of tinamous remained largely overlooked. Here we review the interrelationships of the fossil and living tinamous recovered from phylogenetic analyses based on different types of data (molecular and morphological). The resulting phylogenetic hypothesis is a framework to assess diversification patterns in the evolutionary history of the group and to estimate the timing of these events using the fossil record to calibrate the tinamous phylogeny.