Apodiformes

Belongs within: Daedalornithes.
Contains: Apodi, Trochilidae.

The Apodiformes contains the swifts (Apodi) and hummingbirds (Trochilidae) (Mayr 2005 extends the scope of Apodiformes to also include their sister group, the Aegothelidae [owlet-nightjars]). The Apodiformes are highly aerial birds with much reduced legs, to the extent that they are not able to move by walking. The proximal wing bones (humerus and ulna) are shortened and the hand is elongated, so the carpometacarpus is at least as long as the humerus (Mayr 2009).

Apodiformes [Micropodiformes]
    |  i. s.: Procuculus Harrison & Walker 1977M09, M02
    |           `--*P. minutus Harrison & Walker 1977M02
    |--+--ApodiM03a
    |  `--TrochilidaeM03a
    `--Aegialornithidae [Aegialornithinae, Primapinae, Primapodinae]M03a
         |--Primapus Harrison & Walker 1975M03b
         |    `--*P. lacki Harrison & Walker 1975 [=Aegialornis lacki]M02
         `--Aegialornis Lydekker 1891M03b (see below for synonymy)
              |--*A. gallicus Lydekker 1891M02 (see below for synonymy)
              |--A. broweri Collins 1976 [incl. A. germanicus Mlíkovský 2002]M09
              |--A. leehnardti Gaillard 1908 [=A. leenhardti]M09
              `--A. wetmorei Collins 1976M09 [=*Mesogiornis wetmoreiM02]

Aegialornis Lydekker 1891^M03b [incl. Belornis Milne-Edwards 1893^M02, Mesogiornis Mlíkovský 2002^M02, Tachyornis Milne-Edwards 1892^M02]

*Aegialornis gallicus Lydekker 1891^M02 [incl. *Tachyornis hirundo Milne-Edwards 1892^M02, *Belornis hirundo^M02, Cypseloides mourerchauvireae Mlíkovskỳ 1989^M09, Procypseloides mourerchauvireae^M02]

*Type species of generic name indicated

References

[M03a] Mayr, G. 2003a. Phylogeny of early Tertiary swifts and hummingbirds (Aves: Apodiformes). Auk 120 (1): 145–151.

[M03b] Mayr, G. 2003b. A new Eocene swift-like bird with a peculiar feathering. Ibis 145: 382–391.

[M09] Mayr, G. 2009. Paleogene Fossil Birds. Springer.

[M02] Mlíkovský, J. 2002. Cenozoic Birds of the World. Part 1: Europe. Ninox Press: Praha.