Rheidae

Rheids
Temporal range: Paleocene–Holocene 56–0 Ma
Greater rhea, Rhea americana
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Infraclass: Palaeognathae
Clade: Notopalaeognathae
Order: Rheiformes
Family: Rheidae
Bonaparte, 1853[1]
Type species
Rhea americana
Genus
Synonyms
  • Rheinae Bonaparte 1849

Rheidae /ˈriːɪdiː/ is a family of flightless ratite birds which first appeared in the Paleocene.[2] It is today represented by the sole living genus Rhea, but also contains several extinct genera.[3]

  1. ^ Brands, Sheila (14 August 2008). "Systema Naturae 2000 / Classification, Family Rheidae". Project: The Taxonomicon. Retrieved 4 February 2009.
  2. ^ Agnolin, Federico L. (July 2016) [2017]. "Unexpected diversity of ratites (Aves, Palaeognathae) in the early Cenozoic of South America: Palaeobiogeographical implications". Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology. 41 (1): 101–111. doi:10.1080/03115518.2016.1184898. ISSN 0311-5518. S2CID 132516050.
  3. ^ Mayr, G. (2009). Paleogene fossil birds. Springer.