Ratite

Ratites
Soothren Cassowary (Casuarius casuarius)
Scientific classification
Kinrick:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Cless:	Aves
Superorder:	Palaeognathae
Order:	Struthioniformes Latham, 1790
Faimilies
Struthionidae ostrich Rheidae rhea Casuariidae cassowary Dromaiidae emu †Aepyornithidae elephant bird †Dinornithidae moa Apterygidae kiwi
Synonyms
Gallinae Linnaeus, 1735 Brachypterae Mohr, 1752 Grallae Linnaeus, 1760 Nudipedes Schäffer, 1774 Fissipedes bidactyles Schäffer, 1774 Retipedes Scopoli, 1777 Struthiones Latham, 1790 Campestres Illiger, 1811 Cursores Illiger, 1811 Proceri Illiger, 1811 Megistanes Vieillot, 1816 Brevipennes Cuvier, 1817 Pressirostres Cuvier, 1817 Inertes Temminck, 1820 Ratitae Ranzani, 1823 Rasores Vigors, 1826 Cursitrices MacGillivray, 1840 Grallatores Keyserling & Bl., 1840 Proceres Sunder., 1872 Struthiornithiformes

A ratite is ony o a diverse group o lairge, flichtless birds o the superorder Palaeognathae. Thare is still some controversy regardin the systematics involved. Some soorces state that Ratites are synonymous wi Struthioniformes, while ither soorces state that Ratites are the same group, anly that the order Struthioniformes contains anly the Ostrich an possibly the Elephant Bird. Ratites belang tae the modren bird superorder Palaeognathae which consists o ratites an tinamous (compare tae Neognathae). Unlik ither flichtless birds, the ratites hae nae keel on thair sternum – hence the name frae the Laitin ratis (for raft). Wioot this tae anchor thair wing muscles, thay coud nae flee even if thay wur tae develop suitable wings.

Maist pairts o the umwhile Gondwana Supercontinent hae ratites, or did hae till the fairly recent past. Thair closest livin relatives are the tinamous o Sooth Americae.

Some taxonomical seestems consider the various faimilies o ratites tae be orders, but the seestem uised here uises the order "Struthioniformes" tae refer tae aw ratites.