Mesitornis variegatus in the context of "Otidimorphae"

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⭐ Core Definition: Mesitornis variegatus

The white-breasted mesite or white-breasted roatelo (Mesitornis variegatus) is a ground-dwelling bird endemic to Madagascar. One of three species in the mesite family, Mesitornithidae, it is classified as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It has a small population and is restricted to five sites in the north and west of the island, and one in the east.

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👉 Mesitornis variegatus in the context of Otidimorphae

Otidimorphae is a clade of birds that contains the orders Cuculiformes (cuckoos), Musophagiformes (turacos), and Otidiformes (bustards) identified in 2014 by genome analysis. George Sangster and colleagues in 2022 named the clade uniting turacos and bustards as Musophagotides, defining it in the PhyloCode as "the least inclusive crown clade containing Otis tarda and Musophaga violacea, but not Grus grus or Mesitornis variegatus".

While the bustards seem to be related to the turacos, other genetic studies have found the cuckoos to be closer to the bustards than the turacos are.

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