The classification of modern birds is difficult. Sibley & Ahlquist's "Phylogeny and classification of birds" (1990) is a landmark work on the classification of birds, though it is often debated and revised. Most evidence suggests that the modern bird orders are accurate taxa. More recently, new fossil and molecular evidence is providing an increasingly clear picture of the evolution of modern bird orders.
Antipope
Antipope is a term of the Roman Catholic Church in the context of its official list of popes. An antipope is not included in the list of popes in the Vatican's annual directory, "Annuario Pontificio"
An antipope is a pretender who falsely claims to be pope or who wrongly opposes the legitimate and recognized pope.
The existence or claims of an antipope produces a schism in the Roman Catholic Church. A conflict is caused by those who are opposing the authority of the pope.
Palaeognathae
The Palaeognathae or paleognaths are one of the two living superorders of birds. The other living superorder is Neognathae. Together these two clades form the subclass Neornithes.
Paleognath is a word derived from the ancient Greek for "old jaws" in reference to the skeletal anatomy of the palate, which is described as more primitive and reptilian than that in other birds. Paleognathous birds are uncontroversially the most primitive, or basal, living birds, though there is some controversy about the precise relationship between them and the other birds.
This superorder contains four extant orders of flightless ratites and one order of flying tinamous;
The order Tinamiformes (tinamous) includes nine living genera and forty-seven species.
The Apterygiformes (kiwis) include five species in one genus ("Apteryx").
The Casuariiformes have two genera. The cassowaries ("Casuarius") have three species and the emus (Dromaius) have one living and one recently extinct species.
The Rheiformes (rheas) have two genera with one species each.
The Struthioniformes (ostriches) have only one living species.
There are extinct orders: the Lithornithiformes, the Dinornithiformes (moas), and the Aepyornithiformes (elephant birds). There are other extinct orders which have been allied with the Palaeognathae by at least one author, but their affinities are a matter of dispute: the Ambiornithiformes, the Gansuiformes, the Paleocursornithiformes, the Gobipterygidae.
These are the families of running-birds:
Neognathae
Neognathae are birds in the subclass Neornithes. The Neognathae include almost all living birds: their sister taxon Palaeognathae has just the tinamou and the flightless ratites.
There are nearly 10,000 species of neognaths. Since the Cretaceous they have undergone an adaptive radiation. This has produced the variety of form, function, and behavior which we see today. The Passeriformes (perching birds) are the largest order of land vertebrates. They are some 60% of living birds.
The neognaths have fused hand bones, an elongate third finger, and 13 or fewer vertebrae. They differ from the Palaeognathae in features like the structure of their jawbones. "Neognathae" means "new jaws" but, ironically, paleognath jaws are one of the few derived) features of that group.
Pope Benedict XIII
Pope Benedict XIII (; 2 February 1649 – 21 February 1730), born Pietro Francesco Orsini, later Friar Vincenzo Maria Orsini, O.P., was an Italian priest of the Roman Catholic Church and the 246th Pope from 1724 until his death in 1730. He was the third and last member of the Orsini family to be a pope.
He was born in Gravina in Puglia near Naples. He was the son of Ferdinando III Orsini, Duke of Gravina.
In 1667, Orsini entered the Dominican Order. As a monk, his name was Vincent Maria.
Pope Clement X raised the monk to the rank of Cardinal of "San Sisto" on 22 February 1672.
In 1675, he was made Bishop of Manfredonia.
In 1686, he was made Archbishop of Benevento.
Cardinal Orsini was elected pope on May 28, 1724; and he chose to be called Benedict XIII.
Pope Benedict was involved in Italian and European political disputes.
In 1727, he ordered construction of the famous Spanish Steps in Rome.
In 1729, the pope helped bring about the Treaty of Seville between Great Britain, France, and Spain.
Benedict was buried in a tomb in Santa Maria sopra Minerva completed by Pietro Bracci and others.
Occupied territory
Occupied territory is territory under military occupation. Examples of this are the Allied Occupation Zones in Germany, Palestine and Kashmir.
Báthory family
Báthory was the name of an aristocratic family in Europe in the Middle Ages. Members included Stephen Báthory, King of Poland, Erzsébet Báthory, a countess and wife of General Francis Nadasdy and alleged serial murderer, and Andreas Bathory, a Roman Catholic bishop and prince.
Armenia at the Olympics
Armenia first took part in the Olympic Games in 1994. They have taken part in all summer and winter Olympics since then.
Before Armenia became independent, they competed in the Olympics as a part of the Soviet Union team. After the Soviet Union collapsed, Armenia got their own team.
The Armenian athletes have won twelve medals altogether. They won these medals in wrestling, weightlifting and boxing.
Pope Benedict XIV
Pope Benedict XIV (; 31 March 1675 – 3 May 1758), born Prospero Lorenzo Lambertini, was an Italian priest of the Roman Catholic Church and the 248th Pope from 1740 until his death in 1758.
Lambertini was born in Bologna.
In 1725, Lambertini was made Bishop of Theodosia. He became the Bishop of Ancona in 1727. He was made Bishop of Bologna in 1731.
lambertini was raised to the rank of cardinal in 1728.
He was elected Pope in 1740; and he chose to be called Benedict XIV.
Benedict confirms the title of King of Prussia, which was taken in 1701 by the Elector of Brandenburg.
The pope remained neutral in the War of the Spanish Succession.
Benedict ordered the construction of the Fountains of Trevi.
During Benedict's reign, the creation of a Vatican Library catalogue was begun.
Treaty of Northampton
The Treaty of Northampton signed in 1328 was an agreement between England and Scotland that recognised Scotland as an independent country and Robert the Bruce as its king. Edward I of England and his son Edward II had been fighting wars against Robert the Bruce for more than 20 years. Edward II believed that he was the rightful King of Scotland. In 1327, Edward II was forced from his throne by his wife, Isabella of France and her lover, Roger Mortimer. Edward's young son, Edward III became King of England at the age of 15. Robert the Bruce saw a chance in the confusion in England and immediately sent James Douglas to attack the north of England. The English, scared that they would lose, wanted a peace treaty. The Treaty of Northampton secured peace between the two countries. As part of the treaty, Edward II's six year old daughter, Joan of the Tower was married to Robert's four year old son, David II.
Sudanese People's Liberation Army
Sudan's people liberation army (SPLA) and Sudan's people liberation movement is a political party in South Sudan. It was founded as a resistance movement / rebel group in 1963. As Sudan's people liberation army, it fought against the Sudanese government, in the Sudanese Civil War. This war ended in 2005. Officially, the movement wanted to create a free secular Sudan, which it called "New Sudan". In reality, however, many people in the movement wanted to create an independent state, South Sudan. In 2005, there was a peace treaty. From that moment, until 2011, the SPLM was part of the Sudanese government. Since the independence of South Sudan in 2011, the SPLM is de facto the only party in the country. In the south, the SPLA will become the regular army. In the north, the SPLM is still part of the government. In the provinces South Kordofan and Blue Nile, the SPLA is one of the armies fighting the government.
Nancy Grace