THE RISE AND FALL OF ARBOREAL AVIAN GROUPS FOLLOWING THE CRETACEOUS-PALEOGENE BOUNDARY

Following the K-Pg boundary, we see the evolution of many of the charismatic vertebrate groups seen today. The 'explosive' radiation of birds during this time gave rise to almost all of the modern families of birds, however this period of radiation also saw noted periods of extinction. Studies that have sought to identify periods of extinction have focused on restricted taxonomic sampling from different parts of the avian tree, as well as focusing on periods of mass extinction. The amount of fossil material described, particularly in the last ten years, gives the potential to identify changes in biodiversity both outside of mass extinction events and allows for sampling more extensively within groups, giving a more informative insight into the factors that have shaped the biodiversity we see today.

Development of novel phylogenetic methods for placing fossils in phylogenies gives the potential to examine questions of changing biodiversity in a phylogenetic context. While phylogenetic studies have been carried out, they have been at a restricted taxonomic scale, principally seeking to resolve the relationships between cryptic species or groups. In this study we focus on the predominantly arboreal Anomalogonatae, a diverse collection of birds that includes passerines, parrots, woodpeckers and kingfishers. We construct a supermatrix phylogeny which utilizes decades of systematic paleornithological research in combination with extensive genetic data. The phylogeny includes over 120 fossil species and over 3000 living species, providing the most complete understanding thus far of how avian biodiversity has changed following the K-Pg boundary.