Daniel J. Field

Developmental variation in pterygoid segmentation clarifies patterns of avian bony palate evolution

Micro-computed tomography of 69 immature and mature bird specimens finds complete post-hatching pterygoid segmentation (hemipterygoid detaches from pterygoid, fuses to palatine) only in Neoaves, not Galloanserae or palaeognaths.

Macroevolutionary shifts in post-hatching ontogeny and the origin of craniofacial disparity in fowl (Aves: Galloanserae)

This study investigates ontogenetic changes in cranial morphology across Galloanserae to understand the developmental basis of cranial disparity between anseriforms and galliforms.

New insights into the postcranial morphology of Lithornis vulturinus from the Eocene London Clay

This paper describes new postcranial morphology of Lithornis vulturinus from the Eocene London Clay using microCT scans, revealing intraspecific variation and aiding in understanding palaeognath evolution.

Developmental underpinnings of morphological disparity in the avian bony palate

The paper quantitatively assesses avian palate ontogeny across 70 species to determine the developmental mechanisms behind morphological disparity, finding no evidence of neoteny but highlighting the role of developmental mode.

Revised nomenclature of avian quadrate morphology and a detailed survey of clade-specific anatomical features

This paper proposes a revised nomenclature for avian quadrate morphology and investigates its evolutionary patterns across bird clades.

Shouldering the challenge of deciphering avian palate evolution

The paper critiques a study on avian palate evolution, highlighting issues with taxon sampling and morphological interpretations.

Mandibular morphology clarifies phylogenetic relationships near the origin of crown birds

Mandibular µCT reconstructions favour galliform-like, not palaeognath, affinities for Asteriornis; Vegavis and pelagornithid jaws lack key galloanseran synapomorphies and instead share features with stem bird Ichthyornis.

Efficient Inference of Macrophylogenies: Insights from the Avian Tree of Life

This study evaluates methods for inferring large-scale avian phylogenies, finding that fast tree search approaches balance computational efficiency and accuracy.

Constrained variation in the internal architecture of avian wing bones

The paper examines internal wing bone structure in birds, finding that ecological factors have limited influence compared to body size, with implications for identifying flightless species in fossils.

Soft tissue constraints on joint mobility in the avian shoulder

The paper models ligamentous constraints on avian shoulder mobility using an in silico approach and validates it with ex vivo measurements to improve estimates of joint function in extinct vertebrates.

The influence of soft tissue volume on estimates of skeletal pneumaticity: implications for fossil archosaurs

The paper compares estimated air space proportion (ASP) with true air space proportion (ASPt) in birds, finding ASPt is significantly lower, highlighting the need to account for soft tissue volume in skeletal pneumaticity studies.

Morphological criteria for staging near-hatching embryos of the domesticated Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) and Swan Goose (Anser cygnoides)

The paper evaluates the reliability of morphological criteria for staging near-hatching waterfowl embryos and proposes new criteria with higher accuracy.

Towards a comprehensive anatomical matrix for crown birds: phylogenetic insights from the pectoral girdle and forelimb skeleton

This study identifies phylogenetically informative characters in the pectoral girdle and forelimb skeleton of extant birds, highlighting challenges in morphological phylogenetics and the utility of combining morphology with molecular data.

Upper bill bending as an adaptation for nectar feeding in hummingbirds

This study investigates bill bending in hummingbirds during nectar feeding, finding that maxilla deformation enables efficient nectar exploitation in narrow flowers.