A Phylogenetic Analysis of Recent Anseriform Genera Using Morphological Characters

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Abstract
A phylogenetic analysis of all Recent genera of the Anseriformes using 120 morphological characters supports much of the current consensus regarding intraordinal relationships. I found that (1) Anseranas should be placed in a monotypic family; (2) Dendrocygna, Thalassornis, geese and swans, and Stictonetta are paraphyletic to the rest of the Anatidae; (3) Cereopsis is the sister group to Anser and Branta, and Coscoroba is the sister group to Cygnus and Olor; (4) Plectropterus is the sister group to the Tadorninae (shelducks) and the Anatinae (typical ducks); (5) the shelducks are monophyletic and include Sarkidiornis (provisionally), Malacorhynchus, Hymenolaimus, Merganetta, and Tachyeres; (6) the tribe "Cairinini" ("perching ducks") is an unnatural, polyphyletic assemblage and is rejected; (7) the dabbling ducks (including the smaller "perching ducks") comprise an unresolved, probably paraphyletic group; (8) tribal monophyly of the pochards (including Marmaronetta and Rhodonessa), sea ducks (including the eiders), and stiff-tailed ducks (including Heteronetta) is confirmed; and (9) the retention of Mergellus and resurrection of Nomonyx are recommended based on clarifications of intratribal relationships. Problematic groups, effects of homoplasy, phenetic comparisons, life-history correlates, biogeographic patterns, and fossil species are discussed, and a phylogenetic classification of Recent genera is proposed.