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Clade
Subclade

Taxon
Taxon
Archaeopterygidae
Nominal Author
Huxley 1871
2nd Nominal Author
Taxon Status ACTIVE
Comments
A stem-based definition is proposed for this taxon, which completes a tradition-based node-stem triplet (Aves, Archaeopterygidae, Ornithurae). Sereno (1998:65) had used a similar definiton for the genus Archaeopteryx (all avians closer to Archaeopteryx lithographica than to Neonrithes), but there are two reasons for providing a definition for the family: some of the specimens previously referred to Archaeopteryx have been placed by some authors in a separate genera (Wellnhoferia; Elzanowski 2001), and a suprageneric definition allows incorporation of future relatives that may be significantly different than Archaeopteryx but still its closest relative. This follows the use of the familial taxon by Elzanowski (2002), who provisionally listed three species for Archaeopteryx (A. lithographica, A. siemensii, A. bavarica) and the second genus Wellnhoferia (W. grandis).

The family has been used most frequently as a redundant taxon for Archaeopteryx alone.  Paul (1988), however, also included dromaeosaurids (as a subfamily), although his dendrogram (Paul, 1988:224-225) does not show Archaeopteryigidae conceived in this manner as a clade. This usage has not been followed by later authors, who like Gauthier (1986) have used alternative taxa for any clade that includes dromaeosaurids, Archaeopteryx, and birds.

The nominal author of Archaeopterygidae is Huxley (1871).  De Beer (1954) is one of the few to provide bibliographic reference to the taxon, which is in the first edition of T. H. Huxley’s (1871) A Manual of the Anatomy of Vertebrated Animals.  The taxon has been  frequently attributed to Huxley without a date (e.g. Wellnhofer 1988, 1993) or to Huxley 1872 (e.g. Paul 1988, Elzanowski 2001).

Potential Synonomy
Archaeopterygiformes

Active Phylogenetic Definition
Active Definition
The most inclusive clade including Archaeopteryx lithographica Meyer 1861 but not Passer domesticus (Linnaeus 1758).
Shorthand
> Archaeopteryx lithographica but not Passer domesticus.
Definitional Author
Sereno 2005
Definition Status ORIGINAL
Definition Type STEM
Node-Stem Triplet STEM
Other Triplet Taxa
Aves, Ornithurae
Specifiers
Specifier(s) A
Archaeopteryx lithographica
Specifier(s) B
Specifier(s) C
Passer domesticus
Qualifiers
+Taxon
-Taxon
Datum
Taxonomic Content
Publication Year Unknown
Unknown
Unknown
2005

Inactive Taxon Status
Rejection Criteria
Critique
 

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