Publication Date
April 2007
School
College of Arts and Sciences
Major
Biology
Primary Subject Area
Biology, General
Keywords
baraminology, land fowl, galliform, galliforms, galliform birds, baramin, holobaramin, taxonomy, hybridization, baraminic distance, BD, MDS, multidimensional scaling
Recommended Citation
McConnachie, Melissa Michelle, "A Baraminological Analysis of the Land Fowl (Class Aves, Order Galliformes)" (2007). Senior Honors Theses. 3.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/honors/3
Abstract
This study investigates the number of galliform bird holobaramins. Criteria used to determine the members of any given holobaramin included a biblical word analysis, statistical baraminology, and hybridization. The biblical search yielded limited biosystematic information; however, since it is a necessary and useful part of baraminology research it is both included and discussed. Baraminic distance and multidimensional scaling suggest four holobaramins (cracids, megapodes, guineafowl, and all other galliforms), while a review of hybridization records infers only two (megapodes and all other galliforms). All analyses for statistical methods were based on a dataset obtained from Dyke et al. (2003). I suggest that the Order Galliformes contains a megapode holobaramin and a cracid + phasianoid holobaramin, based on analyses of morphological and hybridization data.
Comments
This thesis was written under the direction of Dr. Timothy Brophy, professor of biology at Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia.