Alternative phylogeny of Basal Aves after Hou et al., 1996, Hou et al., 1999 & Feduccia, 1996

<==o AVIALAE sensu Gauthier 1986
   |?- †Avialae genera et species indet. [Mongolia]
   |?- †Unenlagia comahuensis Novas & Puerta, 1997
   |?- †Bambiraptor feinbergorum Burnham, Derstler, Currie, Bakker, Zhou & Ostrom, 2000 emended Olshevsky, 2000
   `--o AVES (linnut, birds)
      |?- †Wyleyia valdensis Harrison & Walker, 1973 [nomen dubium]
      |--o †Archaeopterygidae [ARCHAEOPTERYGIFORMES]
      |  |?- †Rahonavis ostromi (Forster et al., 1998a) [Rahona ostromi Forster et al., 1998a]
      |  `-- †Archaeopteryx lithographica Meyer, 1861 [Synonyms] (liskolintu; urvogel)
      `--+?- †Protoavis texensis Chatterjee, 1991 sensu Chatterjee, 1997
         `--o METORNITHES Chiappe, 1995 
            |?- †Alvarezsauridae sensu Chiappe, 1995, 1998
            `--o PYGOSTYLIA (pygostyliset linnut)
               |--o †Confuciusornithidae Hou et al., 1995
               |  |-- †Changchengornis hengdaoziensis Ji et al., 1998
               |  `-- †Confuciusornis sanctus Hou et al., 1995 [Synonyms]
               `--o ORNITHOTHORACES (modern rib-cased birds)
                  |-- †ENANTIORNITHES Walker, 1981 [Enantiornithomorpha Chiappe et al. 1999] ("opposite birds")
                  `-- ORNITHUROMORPHA Chiappe et al. 1999 [Ornithurae sensu Feduccia 1996] (modernlike birds)

Note: The phylogeny of basal Avialae is murky. The cause of this murkiness are alvarezsaurids, which are currently of disputed phylogenetic position. I have here decided to follow the view of Chiappe, 1995, 1998. However a recent analysis of Paul C. Sereno places alvarezsaurids as very specialized ornithomimids. If this view is upholded, will group Pygostylia be dumbed as it then will be a junior synonym of Metornithes.

[Metornithes = All Aves closer to Neornithes than Archaeopteryx]

[Pygostylia = Last common ancester of Confuciusornis and Neornithes, and all it's descents]

Reference(s):

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