Tinamou facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tinamou Temporal range: Miocene to present
The Great Tinamou, Tinamus major
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Superorder:	Palaeognathae
Order:	Tinamiformes Huxley, 1872
Family:	Tinamidae G.R. Gray, 1840
Diversity
[[List of Tinamidae species|2 Subfamily, 9 Genera, 47 Species, 127 Subspecies]]

A tinamou is one of an family of birds called the Tinamidae. They are the only species within the family. There are 47 species of tinamou in Central and South America. They are one of the most ancient living groups of bird, and are related to the ratites. Generally ground dwelling, they are found in a range of habitats.

Taxonomy and evolution

Of Gondwanan origin, tinamous are related to the ratites. Although the fossil record in South America is poor, the known tinamiform fossil record goes back 10 million years. Together with the ratites, they make up Palaeognathae ("old jaws"), while all other living birds are members of Neognathae ("new jaws"). Unlike the other palaeognaths, tinamous do have a keeled sternum. Like the other palaeognaths, they also have a distinctive palate (thin bony plate at top of mouth).

Recent phylogenetic studies place tinamids as the sister group of Australasian/Oceanian ratites. Those are the (cassowaries, emus, and kiwi). South American ratites (rheas) and African ratites (ostriches) are also related, but more distantly. Tinamous themselves are monophyletic.

Images for kids

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  The moas Dinornis robustus and Pachyornis elephantopus, tinamous' extinct ratite cousins from New Zealand

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  Great tinamou

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  Cinereous tinamou

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  Brushland tinamou

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  Patagonian tinamou

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  Ventral view of the cranium of a red-winged tinamou

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  Elegant crested tinamou – one of the crested species

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  Darwin's nothura occupies high altitude grasslands

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  Slaty-breasted tinamous are found in tropical lowland forests

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  Many of the larger tinamous, like this great tinamou roost in trees at night.

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  Juvenile undulated tinamou in captivity

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  Tayras prey on tropical forest tinamous.

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  Chilean tinamous have been introduced to Easter Island.

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  The small-billed tinamou has been considered a suitable candidate for domestication

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  The solitary tinamou is listed under CITES

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  Dwarf tinamous have been badly affected by pastoral management

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  Spotted nothuras are still extensively hunted.

See also

In Spanish: Tinamidae para niños