Corvida facts for kids

The Corvida was a name once used by scientists for a group of birds. These birds were thought to be closely related to each other. They were part of a much larger group known as songbirds, or Passeri. Songbirds are a type of bird order called Passeriformes. However, scientists no longer use the term "Corvida" when classifying birds today. This is because new research showed that the group didn't include all the birds that came from a single common ancestor. When a group is missing some of its descendants, it's called "paraphyletic". Modern taxonomy, which is the science of classifying living things, tries to avoid these kinds of groups.

How Scientists Classify Birds

Scientists use a system to organize and name all living things, including birds. This system is called taxonomy. It helps us understand how different species are related to each other. Think of it like sorting your toys into different boxes.

Levels of Classification

Scientists use different levels to classify life. These levels go from very broad to very specific.

• The broadest level is domain.
• Then comes kingdom.
• After that, phylum.
• Then class. Birds belong to the class Aves.
• Next is order. Songbirds are in the order Passeriformes.
• Then family.
• And finally, genus and species.

What is a Parvorder?

The Corvida was once considered a "parvorder". A parvorder is a classification level that is smaller than a suborder but larger than a superfamily. It's like a small subgroup within a bigger group. The Corvida was one of two parvorders within the suborder Passeri (songbirds).

Why "Corvida" is No Longer Used

The main reason the term "Corvida" is not used anymore is because it was found to be "paraphyletic". This is a very important idea in modern classification.

Understanding Paraphyletic Groups

Imagine you have a family tree. A true, natural group in science should include an ancestor and ALL of its descendants.

• A monophyletic group (also called a clade) includes a common ancestor and all of its descendants. This is what scientists aim for.
• A paraphyletic group includes a common ancestor but only some of its descendants. It leaves out one or more branches of the family tree.
• An polyphyletic group includes descendants from different ancestors, often because they share similar traits that evolved separately.

The Corvida group was found to be paraphyletic. This means that while the birds in the Corvida group did share a common ancestor, some of the descendants of that ancestor were left out of the group. This makes the group not a true, natural grouping based on shared ancestry.

The Other Songbird Group: Passerida

When Corvida was still used, the other main parvorder within the songbirds (Passeri) was called the Passerida. This group included many familiar birds like sparrows, finches, and warblers.

• The Corvida was thought to be the older, more "primitive" group of songbirds.
• The Passerida was thought to be the newer, more "advanced" group.

However, modern genetic studies have shown that the relationships between songbirds are more complex than this simple two-group idea.

How Science Changes Bird Classification

Science is always learning new things. As new tools and methods become available, our understanding of the natural world improves.

• In the past, scientists mainly classified birds based on how they looked. They would compare their feathers, beaks, and skeletons.
• Today, scientists use DNA to study how birds are related. By looking at the genetic code of different birds, they can get a much clearer picture of their family trees.

These DNA studies showed that the Corvida group, as it was defined, didn't accurately reflect the true evolutionary history of songbirds. Because of this new information, the term "Corvida" was dropped from scientific use. Scientists now use more accurate ways to group songbirds based on their genetic relationships. This helps us better understand the amazing diversity of birds on our planet.