Casuariiformes

The **Casuariiformes** is an order of large flightless bird that has four surviving members: the three species of cassowary, and the only remaining species of emu. They are divided into either a single family, Casuariidae, or more typically two, with the emu splitting off into its own family, Dromaiidae.

All four living members are native to Australia-New Guinea, but some possible extinct taxa occurred in other landmasses.

## Contents

* 1Systematics and evolution
* 2Taxonomy
* 3Footnotes
* 4References
* 5References
* 6External links

## Systematics and evolution

Emu
The emus form a distinct family, characterized by legs adapted for running. The total number of cassowary species described, based on minor differences in casque shape and color variations, formerly reached nine. Now, however, only three species are recognized, and most authorities only acknowledge few subspecies or none at all.

The fossil record of casuariforms is interesting, but not very extensive. Regarding fossil species of *Dromaius* and *Casuarius*, see their genus pages. As with all ratites, there are several contested theories concerning their evolution and relationships.

Some Australian fossils initially believed to be from emus were recognized to represent a distinct genus, *Emuarius*, which had a cassowary-like skull and femur and an emu-like lower leg and foot. In addition, the first fossils of mihirungs were initially believed to be from giant emus, but these birds were completely unrelated.

It has been suggested[*who?*] that the South American genus *Diogenornis* was a casuraiiform bird, instead of a member of the rheas, the current South American lineage of giant ground birds. If this were the case, not only would it extend the fossil range of this lineage to a wider region, but to a broader time span as well, since *Diogenornis* occurs in the late Paleocene and is among the earliest known ratites. The *Hypselornis* from Pliocene India has also been linked to emus and cassowaries, but no studies have been performed in this extremely obscure taxon since the 1930s.

An especially interesting question regarding this order is whether emus or cassowaries are the more primitive form, if either. Emus are generally assumed to retain more ancestral features, in part because of their more modest coloration, but this does not necessarily have to be the case. The casuariiform fossil record is ambiguous, and the present knowledge of their genome is insufficient for comprehensive analysis. Resolving the cladistic issues will require combination of all these approaches, with at least the additional consideration of plate tectonics.

## Taxonomy

**Casuariiformes** (Sclater, 1880) Forbes 1884

* ?†*Diogenornis* - Alvarenga, 1983 (Paleocene of Brazil)
	+ †*Diogenornis fragilis* Alvarenga, 1983
* **Casuariidae** Kaup, 1847 [Casuariinae Reichenbach, 1849] (emus and cassowaries)
	+ ?†*Hypselornis* Lydekker, 1929
		- †*Hypselornis sivalensis* Lydekker, 1929
	+ †*Emuarius* Boles, 1992 (emuwaries) (Late Oligocene – Late Miocene)
		- †*E. gidju* (Patterson & Rich 1987) Boles, 1992 [*Dromaius gidju* Patterson & Rich 1987]
		- †*E. guljaruba* Boles, 2001
	+ *Casuarius* (Linnaeus 1758) Brisson, 1760 [*Cela* Oken, 1816; *Cela* Moehr, 1752 *nomen rejectum*; *Rhea* Lacépède, 1800 non Latham, 1790; *Chelarga* Billberg, 1828; *Oxyporus* Brookes, 1828 non (Bourdot & Galzin, 1925) Donk, 1933; *Thrasys* Billberg, 1828; *Cassowara* Perry, 1811; *Hippalectryo* Gloger, 1842] (cassowary)
		- †*C. lydekkeri* Rothschild, 1911 (Pygmy cassowary)
		- *C. casuarius* (Linnaeus, 1758) Brisson, 1760 [*Struthio casuarius* Linnaeus, 1758; *Casuarius casuarius altijugus* (Sclater, 1878); *Casuarius altijugus* Sclater, 1878; ; *Casuarius casuarius aruensis* (Schlegel, 1866); *Casuarius aruensis* Schlegel, 1866; *Casuarius australis* D'Albertis non Wall, 1854; *Casuarius casuarius australis*; *Casuarius casuarius beccarii* (Sclater, 1875); *Casuarius beccarii* Sclater, 1875; *Casuarius bicarunculatus* Sclater, 1860; *Casuarius casuarius bicarunculatus* (Sclater, 1860); *Casuarius bicarunculatus bicarunculatus*; *Casuarius bistriatus* van Oort, 1907; *Casuarius casuarius bistriatus* van (Oort, 1907); *Casuarius casuarius casuarius* (Linnaeus, 1758); *Casuarius casuarius chimaera* Rothschild, 1904; *Casuarius bicarunculatus chimaera* (Rothschild, 1904); *Casuarius casuarius grandis* Rothschild, 1937; *Casuarius galeatus* Bonnaterre, 1790; *Casuarius casuarius hamiltoni* Mathews, 1915; *Casuarius casuarius intensus* Rothschild, 1898; *Casuarius bicarunculatus intermedius* Rothschild, 1928; *Casuarius casuarius intermedius* (Rothschild, 1928); *Casuarius casuarius johnsonii* (Müller, 1866); *Casuarius johnsonii* Müller, 1866; *Casuarius casuarius lateralis* Rothschild, 1925; *Casuarius casuarius salvadorii* (Oustalet, 1878); *Casuarius salvadorii* Oustalet, 1878; *Casuarius casuarius sclaterii* (Salvadori, 1878); *Casuarius sclaterii* Salvadori, 1878; *Casuarius casuarius tricarunculatus* (Beccari, 1876); *Casuarius bicarunculatus tricarunculatus* (Beccari, 1876); *Casuarius tricarunculatus* Beccari, 1876; *Casuarius casuarius violicollis* Rothschild, 1899; *Cassowara eximia* Perry, 1811; *Hippalectryo indicus* Gloger 1842; *Hippalectryo casuarius*; *Casuarius hagenbecki* Rothschild, 1904; *Casuarius casuarius hagenbecki*; *Casuarius unappendiculatus hagenbecki* (Rothschild, 1904); *Casuarius emeu*; *Casuarius orientalis*; *Casuarius javanensis*] (Southern Cassowary)
		- *C. unappendiculatus* Blyth 1860 [*Casuarius doggetti* Rothschild, 1904; ; *Casuarius unappendiculatus doggetti* (Rothschild, 1904); *Casuarius unappendiculatus mitratus* Rothschild, 1904; *Casuarius unappendiculatus multicolor* Le Souef, 1930; *Casuarius unappendiculatus suffusus* Rothschild, 1904; *Casuarius unappendiculatus rothschildi* (Matschie, 1901); *Casuarius rothschildi* Matschie, 1901; *Casuarius unappendiculatus philipi* (Rothschild, 1898); *Casuarius philipi* Rothschild, 1898; *Casuarius unappendiculatus unappendiculatus*; *Casuarius unappendiculatus occipitalis* (Salvadori, 1878); *Casuarius occipitalis* Salvadori, 1878; *Casuarius unappendiculatus rufotinctus* Rothschild, 1900; *Casuarius unappendiculatus aurentiacus* Rothschild, 1899; *Casuarius kaupi* Rosenberg, 1861; *Casuarius laglaizei* Oustalet, 1893] (Northern Cassowary)
		- *C. bennetti* Gould, 1857 [*Casuarius westermanni* Sclater, 1874; *Casuarius papuanus* Schlegel, 1871; *Casuarius goodfellowi* Rothschild, 1914; *Casuarius foersteri* Rothschild, 1913; *Casuarius keysseri* Rothschild, 1912; *Casuarius jamrachi* Rothschild, 1904; *Casuarius roseigularis* Rothschild, 1905; *Casuarius rogersi* Rothschild, 1928; *Casuarius edwardsi* Oustalet, 1878; *Casuarius claudii* Ogilvie-Grant, 1911; *Casuarius picticollis* Sclater, 1874; *Casuarius loriae* Rothschild, 1898; *Casuarius maculatus* Rothschild, 1900] (Dwarf Cassowary)
			* *C. b. westermanni* (Sclater, 1874) [*Casuarius westermanni* Sclater, 1874; *Casuarius bennetti westermanni*; *Casuarius papuanus* Schlegel, 1871; *Casuarius bennetti papuanus* (Schlegel, 1871); *Casuarius goodfellowi* Rothschild, 1914; *Casuarius bennetti goodfellowi* (Rothschild, 1914); *Casuarius papuanus goodfellowi* (Rothschild, 1914); *Casuarius papuanus shawmayeri* Rothschild, 1937; *Casuarius bennetti shawmayeri* (Rothschild, 1937); *Casuarius foersteri* Rothschild, 1913; *Casuarius bennetti foersteri* (Rothschild, 1913); *Casuarius picticollis hecki* Rothschild, 1899; *Casuarius bennetti hecki* (Rothschild, 1899); *Casuarius keysseri* Rothschild, 1912; *Casuarius bennetti keysseri* (Rothschild, 1912); *Casuarius jamrachi* Rothschild, 1904; *Casuarius casuarius jamrachi* (Rothschild, 1904); *Casuarius unappendiculatus jamrachi* (Rothschild, 1904); *Casuarius roseigularis* Rothschild, 1905; *Casuarius bennetti roseigularis* (Rothschild, 1905); *Casuarius rogersi* Rothschild, 1928] (Papuan dwarf cassowary)
			* *C. b. bennetti* Gould, 1857 [*Casuarius edwardsi* Oustalet, 1878; *Casuarius bennetti edwardsi* (Oustalet, 1878); *Casuarius westermanni edwardsi* (Oustalet, 1878); *Casuarius claudii* Ogilvie-Grant, 1911; *Casuarius bennetti claudii* (Ogilvie-Grant, 1911); *Casuarius picticollis* Sclater, 1874; *Casuarius bennetti picticollis* (Sclater, 1874); *Casuarius loriae* Rothschild, 1898; *Casuarius bennetti loriae* (Rothschild, 1898); *Casuarius maculatus* Rothschild, 1900; *Casuarius bennetti maculatus* (Rothschild, 1900)] (Bennett's cassowary)
* **Dromaiidae** Huxley, 1868 [Dramaiinae Gray, 1870; Dramiceiidae Richmond, 1908; Dramaeidae Newton, 1896] (modern emus)
	+ *Dromaius* Vieillot, 1816 [*Tachea* Fleming 1822; *Emou* Griffith & Pidgeon 1829; *Peronista* Mathews 1912; *Metapteryx* De Vis, 1892] (emus) (Middle Miocene – Recent)
		- †*D. ocypus* Miller, 1963 [*Casuarius ocypus* (Miller, 1963)]
		- *D. novaehollandiae* (Latham, 1790) Vieillot 1816 [*Casuarius novae-hollandiae* Latham, 1790; †*Dromaius gracilipes* De Vis, 1892; †*Dromaius patricius* De Vris, 1888; *Metapteryx bifrons* De Vis, 1892] (emu)
			* †*D. n. minor* Spencer, 1906 [*Dromaeus minor* (sic) Spencer, 1906; *Dromaius novaehollandiae ater* Vieillot, 1817; *Dromiceius spenceri* (sic) Mathews, 1912; *Dromaeus bassi* Legge, 1907; *Dromaius ater* Vieillot, 1817 *nomen novum*; *Peronista spenceri* (Mathews, 1912)] (King Island/black emu)
			* †*D. n. baudinianus* Parker, 1984 [*Dromaius baudinianus* Parker 1984; *Dromaius baudinianus baudinianus*; *Dromaius parvulus* Mathews, 1901; *Dromaius peroni* Rothschild, 1907; *Dromiceius novaehollandiae gunni* Mathews, 1922; *Peronista peroni* (Rothschild 1907) Mathews, 1913] (Kangaroo Island/dwarf emu)
			* †*D. n. diemenensis* (Jennings, 1827) Le Souef, 1907 [*Casuarius diemenianus* Jennings, 1827; *Dromaeus diemenensis* (Jennings, 1827) Le Souëf, 1907; *Peronista diemenianus* Mathews, 1927] (Tasmanian emu)
			* *D. n. novaehollandiae* (Latham, 1790) [*Dromaius novaehollandiae rothschildi* Mathews, 1912; *Casuarius australis* Shaw, 1792; *Casuarius novaehollandiae* Latham, 1790; *Dromaeus irroratus* Bartlett, 1859; *Dromaius novaehollandiae montanus* Campbell, 1939; *Dromaius novaehollandiae woodwardi* Mathews, 1912; *Dromiceius emu* Stephens, 1826; *Dromiceius major* Brookes, 1830; *Tachea novaehollandiae*; *Struthio novaehollandiae*] (Australian emu)

## Footnotes.

1. **^** "Emuarius" is from "Emu" + "*Casuarius*". Describer W.E. Boles commonly refers to the genus as "emuwaries" or "cassomus".
2. **^** The vernacular name "mihirung" is derived from *mihirung paringmal*, which means "giant emu" in the Chaap Wuurong language.