Review of 2024

Last year was a fairly productive one for me. Two research papers I co-authored came out, one on the scientific importance of fossil avialans from the Maastricht Formation and the other on the jaw anatomy of Asteriornis, with more to come. I also co-wrote an article on the evolution of birds for the 2nd edition of the Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Biology (slated for release in print later this year), was invited to give a talk for paleoartist Joschua Knüppe's PaleostreamCon, and consulted for the educational studio Kurzgesagt on their new poster depicting dinosaur phylogeny. An interview with me about recent advances in bird paleontology (conducted in English but translated into Finnish) was published in the magazine Tekniikan Maailma.

Kurzgesagt's "Map of Dinosaur Evolution" poster depicting the phylogeny of dinosaurs (and other reptiles).

One obvious side effect of all this is that activity on this blog plummeted to an all-time low. For the first time, I didn't even get around to writing up a conference report about an in-person SVP that I attended. It's not for a lack of topics to write about, and I always find science outreach to be enjoyable and immensely rewarding. However, the fact of the matter is that for me, blogging is an unpaid hobby that I need to do in my dwindling spare time, so if I happen to be more motivated to spend that time on, let's say, drawing Doraemon fan art... then that is most likely what I'm going to do. In similar vein, I decided to retire New Dinosaur Alert at the beginning of this year, and will be moderating (though continuing) my involvement with Through Time and Clades. I think this has been good for me in certain ways at least. By some metrics, I did more drawing for leisure last year than I have in a very long time. 

If you're really wondering: SVP 2024 was fun, especially when you have friends who know exactly what presents to get you.

Was 2024 also good to maniraptoran research more broadly? Let's take a look. As always, my coverage of papers about modern birds is necessarily going to be incomplete, so I put more focus on those that have more direct connections to paleontology, such as studies on anatomy, ontogeny, and higher-order phylogeny.

General and non-paravian maniraptorans

• Taphonomy of feather biomolecules
  
• Avian fibular reduction and evolution of theropod locomotion
  
• Body size and evolutionary rates of alvarezsaurs
• Alvarezsaur from the Plottier Formation

Relative body sizes of alvarezsaurs, with taxa organized by geographic distribution and geological age, from Meso et al. (2024).

• Osteology of Nothronychus
• Hindlimb biomechanics of Nothronychus
• Evolution of the pectoral girdle in pennaraptorans
• Functional constraints on flight feather number and shape in pennaraptorans
• Prey flushing as a potential adaptive advantage of proto-wings in pennaraptorans
  
• New oviraptorosaurs Yuanyanglong bainian and Eoneophron infernalis
• Evolution of cranial biomechanics in oviraptorosaurs
• Caenagnathid from the Kirtland Formation
  
• Osteology of Oksoko
  
• Wrist osteology of Heyuannia

Skeletal reconstruction and holotype of Oksoko, from Funston (2024).

General and non-neornithean paravians

• Reconstructing locomotor joint poses in paravians
  
• Taphonomy of paravians from the Jiufotang Formation
• New specimen of Elopteryx
  
• Possible dromaeosaurid eggs from the Lianhe Formation
  
• Morphological disparity and structural performance of dromaeosaurid skulls
  
• New unenlagiine Diuqin lechiguanae
  
• Reevaluation of Imperobator as an unenlagiine
  
• Pelvic and hindlimb musculature of Buitreraptor
  
• Evidence of aerial behavior in microraptorians based on trackways
• Juvenile specimen of Microraptor
  
• Mandibular biomechanics of Acheroraptor
  

Microraptorian tracks from the Jinju Formation suggested to record evidence of wing-assisted locomotion, from Dececchi et al. (2024).

• New troodontids Harenadraco prima, Hypnovenator matsubaraetoheorum, and Urbacodon norelli
• Possible giant troodontid tracks from the Shaxian Formation
• Endocranial morphology of Sinovenator
  
• Cranial anatomy of Anchiornis
  
• Review of avialans from the Cretaceous of China
  
• Evidence of primary feather molt in confuciusornithiforms
• Sexual dimorphism of Confuciusornis
  
• Review of fossil avialans from Brazil
• Review of avialans from the Maastricht Formation
• Comparison of avialan assemblages from the Maastrichtian of Antarctica and Argentina
  
• Morphometrics of neck vertebrae in Mesozoic avialans
  
• New enantiornitheans Avisaurus darwini, Magnusavis ekalakaensis, Imparavis attenboroughi, Navaornis hestiae, and Neobohaiornis lamadongensis
• Bone histology of juvenile enantiornitheans
  
• Gut contents of Longipteryx indicate frugivory
• Bone microstructure of Musivavis
  
• Dietary diversity of bohaiornithids
  
• New Cretaceous euornithean Shuilingornis angelai
• Review of marine avialan fossils from South America
  
• Review of avialans from the Cretaceous of Antarctica

Holotype of Navaornis hestiae, from Chiappe et al. (2024).

General and miscellaneous crown birds

• Possible crown bird from the Lance Formation
  
• Avian fossils from the Quaternary of Brazil
• Avian fossils from the Quaternary of Spain
  
• New indeterminate Eocene bird Lumbrerornis rougieri
  
• Phylogeny of crown birds
  
• Evaluation of the usefulness of morphological characters in avian phylogenetics
• Divergence times of crown birds
• Diversification of crown birds
  
• Limited ecological opportunity influences tempo of morphological evolution in birds

Phylogeny of crown birds, from Stiller et al. (2024).

• Macroevolutionary drivers of morphological disparity in the avian quadrate
• Effects of body mass and phylogeny on masses of jaw muscle groups in birds
  
• Development of the avian furcula
• Influence of avian wing morphology on intraspecific divergence
  
• Small body size associated with increased evolutionary lability of avian wing skeleton proportions
• Signaling dynamics underlying development of digit segmentation in birds (and mammals)
  
• Genetic basis for reduction of the third digit during avian forelimb development
  
• Evolution of avian foot morphology through anatomical network analysis
• Gait simulations reveal optimality of grounded running in birds
  
• Aerodynamic efficiency explains avian flapping strategies
• Joint extension speed dictates avian wing morphing trajectories
  
• The respiratory system influences flight mechanics in soaring birds

CT scan of a red-tailed hawk with the respiratory system (a) and specifically the subpectoral diverticulae (b–c) in blue, from Schachner et al. (2024).

• Anatomy of the avian stomach
• Development of vocal folds in the avian syrinx
  
• Eye morphology correlates with ecology in waterbirds
• Light conditions and the evolution of the avian visual system
  
• Review of avian integumentary development
  
• Review of feather water repellency
• Conserved regulatory switches for the transition from natal down to juvenile feathers
  
• Transitions between color mechanisms affect avian speciation dynamics and range distributions
  
• Morphological characterization of scaly skin in birds
• Functional role of metabolic suppression in avian thermoregulation in the heat
  
• Genomic convergence between birds and bats
• Avian genome and life history evolution linked to the K–Pg extinction
• Evolution of sexual size dimorphism in birds
  
• Evolution of parental care in birds
• Family-living and cooperative breeding in birds associated with number of avian predators
• Birds that breed exclusively on islands have smaller clutches
  
• Avian phylogenetic diversity increases with temperature worldwide
• Atolls are globally important sites for tropical seabirds
• Review of avian island radiations
• Avian wing metrics predict species occurrence on remote islands
• Importance of migratory drop-off for avian island colonization
• Niche filling predicts evolutionary trajectories in insular avian communities
• Latitudinal specificity of plant–avian frugivore interactions
  
• Review of avian seed dispersal out of forests since the Pleistocene
• Review of evolutionary ecology of bird–ant interactions
• Impact of weaver ants on avian elevational diversity patterns

Asian weaver ants, photographed by Tuan Cao, under CC BY-SA 3.0.

• Correlates of avian extinction timing in historical times
• Loss of avian functional and phylogenetic diversity from anthropogenic extinctions
• Characterization of recent avian extinctions in Australia
• Extinction of Pliocene giant volant birds possibly driven by atmospheric density
  
• Evolution of using shed snake skin in bird nests
  
• How limb bone shape in waterbirds relates to locomotor abilities
  
• Review of over-water offspring ferrying behavior in waterbirds
• Cervical anatomy of aquatic neoavians
  
• Highly virulent avian brood parasites show elevated embryonic metabolic rates at specific incubation stages
• Nest architecture influences host use by avian brood parasites
  

Paleognaths

• Neuroanatomy of Lithornis
  
• Brain shapes of flightless paleognaths emerge through distinct developmental allometries
• Histochemistry of a Miocene ostrich eggshell
  
• Axial anatomy of the common ostrich
  
• Immobilization during embryonic development contributes to emu wing reduction
• Hindlimb biomechanics during sit-to-stand and sit-to-walk transitions in emus
• Timing of moa extinction
  
• Ecological dynamics of moa extinctions
• Characterization of diagentiforms in a moa proteome
  
• Genome of the little bush moa

Brain endocast of Lithornis, from Widrig et al. (2024).

Galloanserans

• Reinterpretation of mandibular anatomy of Asteriornis
  
• Reevaluation of gastornithiforms (with Diatryma and Zhongyuanus split from Gastornis)
  
• New genus Wunketru for "Telmabates" howardae
  
• New Eocene pan-anseriform Paakniwatavis grandei
  
• Skull morphology of Genyornis
  

Skull reconstruction of Genyornis, from McInerney et al. (2024).

• New Oligocene ducks Mionetta turgaiensis and Uyrekura chalkarica (also new genus Kustokazanser for "Cygnavus" formosus)
• Vertebral morphology of Annakacygna
  
• Validity of Miotadorna catrionae
  
• New Pleistocene sheldgoose Chloephaga dabbenei
  
• Osteological variation in ducks
• New Pleistocene duck Melanitta kirbori
  
• Mitogenomes of the Auckland and Brazilian mergansers
• Phylogeny of Anas ducks from Oceania, greater Indonesia, and the Philippines
  
• Diversification of Austral teals
• New stem-galliforms Paraortygoides argillae and Waltonortyx bumbanipodiides
  
• Evolution of bare parts in galliforms
• New Pleistocene partridge Enkuria voinstvenskyi
  
• New genus Paralyra for "Lagopus" atavus
  
• New extinct phasianids Chauvireria axaina, Chauvireria egorovkensis, Coturnix augustus, Plioperdix boevi, and Tologuica vetusta (also new genus Marocortyx for "Plioperdix" africana and "Palaeocryptonyx" novaki)
• Taxonomy of Campocolinus and Pternistis
• Mitogenomics of Coturnix quails

Examples of bare parts in galliforms, from Zhao et al. (2024).

Miscellaneous neoavians

• A region of suppressed recombination misleads neoavian phylogenomics
  
• Reevaluation of a flamingo from the Pie de Vaca Formation
• Chilean flamingos as ecosystem engineers
• Coevolution with hosts underpins speciation in Chrysococcyx cuckoos
• Evolution and genetic architecture of sex-limited polymorphism in Cuculus cuckoos
  
• Nomenclature of Streptopelia doves
• Functional imaging of the rock pigeon brain
  
• Flying fast improves aerodynamic economy with mass increase in rock pigeons
  
• Systematics and nomenclature of dodo and Rodrigues solitaire
  
• Evolution of aggression in the Rodrigues solitaire
• Phylogenetic position of the Negros fruit dove

Holotype of the Negros fruit dove, from Nash et al. (2024).

Cursorimorphs

• New messelornithids Nasiornis messelornithoides and Parvirallus incertus, and messelornithid-like bird Walbeckornis waltonensis
  
• Diving adaptations in coots
• Diversification of the Galápagos crake
  
• Correlated evolution of beak and braincase morphology only in select charadriiform clades
  
• Evolution of sex roles in charadriiforms
• Evolution of an inverse latitudinal diversity gradient in charadriiforms
  
• Wing spur of Vanellus madagascariensis
  
• Extinction of the slender-billed curlew
• Buttonquail from the Pleistocene of Crimea
  
• Visual fields of gulls

Carpometacarpus of Vanellus madagascariensis (A) compared to that of an extant blacksmith lapwing (B), showing the very large wing spur, from Goodman and Rasolonjatovo (2024).

Phaethoquornitheans

• New stem-tropicbird Prophaethon waltonensis
  
• Tactile bill-tip organs in procellariimorphs
• Comparative anatomy of total-group penguin tarsometatarsi
• New specimen of Palaeeudyptes
  
• New stem-penguin Pakudyptes hakataramea
  
• Vertebral formula variations in penguins
  
• Ontogeny of limb bone microstructure in the king penguin
• Evolutionary dynamics of microsatellites in Adélie penguins
  
• Genomic basis of diversification in banded penguins

Bill tips of procellariimorphs (a–c) compared to that of a gull (d) and a tinamou (e), from du Toit et al. (2024).

• Procellariiform from the Tavda Formation
• New extant southern storm petrel, the Andean storm petrel (Oceanites barrosi)
  
• New recently extinct petrel Pterodroma zinorum
  
• New Pliocene petrel Ardenna buchananbrowni
  
• Species limits in Puffinus shearwaters
  
• Prehistorical and historical occurrence of the white stork and Eurasian spoonbill in Europe
• Frigatebird-like tarsometatarsus from the London Clay Formation
• Comparative oxygen metabolism of the anhinga and the double-crested cormorant
• Tibiotarsus of Macranhinga
• New Miocene cormorant Phalacrocorax bakonyiensis
  

Strisoreans

• New extant nightjar, the Timor nightjar (Caprimulgus ritae)
• New Eocene strisoreans Fluvioviridavis michaeldanielsi and Fluvioviridavis nazensis
  
• New stem-apodiforms Eocypselus geminus, Eocypselus grandissimus, and Eocypselus paulomajor
  
• Syrinx morphology of swifts
  
• Upper bill bending as an adaptation for nectar feeding in hummingbirds
• Hummingbirds alter flying kinematics during molt
  
• Evolution of the plant–hummingbird pollination system
  
• New extant hummingbird, the northern giant hummingbird (Patagona chaski) (though see commentary on the validity of this name)
• Validity of Dicranurania
• Phylogenetic position of the mangrove hummingbird

A male Timor nightjar, photographed by James Eaton, from King et al. (2024).

Telluravians

• New indeterminate telluravians Sulcitarsus aenigmatus and Xenavicula pamelae, and stem-trogon Masillatrogon incertus
  
• Evolution of thermal tolerance in telluravians
  
• Review of plumage polymorphism in raptors
  
• Global diet diversity spectrum in avian apex predators
  
• Nocturnal camouflage through background matching against moonlight in barn owls
• Modulation of landing force as motion-induced sound camouflage in barn owls
  
• "Ninox dubiosa" identified as a specimen of white-throated screech owl (Megascops albogularis)
  
• New Pleistocene American vulture Ukugyps orcesi and hawk Buteo chimborazoensis
• Neuroanatomy of Argentavis
  
• California condor nest cave from the Pleistocene of Texas
  
• The Andean condor as a "top scavenger"
• Turkey vulture from the Pleistocene of Brazil
• Turkey vultures tune airspeed to changing air density
  
• Phylogeny of accipitrids
  
• Grasping-related musculature of accipitrids
• New Pleistocene vulture Torgos platycephalus
  
• Martial eagle predation on lion cubs
• Colonization of the Mediterranean Basin by the Bonelli's eagle

Phylogeny of accipitrids (in part), from Catanach et al. (2024).

• New stem-mousebird Ypresicolius sandcoleiformis
• Comparative reproductive ecology of trogons
  
• New stem-upupidean Waltonirrisor tendringensis, stem-coracioid Septencoracias simillimus, and possible stem-piciforms Pristineanis minor and Pristineanis major
  
• Object permanence in Oriental pied hornbills
  
• Genomic patterns in Ceyx kingfishers
• Taxonomic and conservation status of the Sangihe dwarf kingfisher
• Hybridization constrains the evolution of mimicry complexes in woodpeckers
  
• Evolution of the jaw apparatus in picine woodpeckers
• Cariamiforms from the La Meseta Formation
  
• Evolution of gigantism in phorusrhacids
• Phorusrhacid from the Sarmiento Formation
  
• Giant phorusrhacid from the La Victoria Formation
  
• No support for solar radiation as a major evolutionary driver of malar stripes in Falco falcons
  
• Climatic niche evolution of Falco falcons
• Kinematics of wing and tail morphing in nankeen kestrels during hovering flights
  
• Taxonomy of parrots
  
• Bite forces of parrots
• Strength of flight feathers in parrots is a function of position on the wing
• Beakiation as a novel arboreal gait in parrots
  
• Eye appearance in parrots may co-vary with latitude and altitude
  
• Molecular mechanism for bright color variation in parrots
  
• Parrots live in smaller groups on islands
• Genetic basis of feather color variation in the kākāpō suggests selection by an extinct predator
• Variation in postcranial skeletal pneumatization in the African gray parrot
• Evolution of excavator nesting behavior in arine parrots
• New specimen of the Cuban macaw
  
• New Pliocene–Pleistocene parrot Agapornis longipes
  
• Convergent evolution of plumage coloration in lovebirds

Diagram showing a parrot performing beakiation, in which the beak is used to help travel along the underside of a perch, from Dickinson et al. (2024).

• Phylogenetic affinities of fossil passeriforms
• Passeriforms from the Bannockburn Formation
  
• Functional evolution of facial bristles in passeriforms
  
• Evolutionary drivers of flash plumage signals in North American passeriforms
• Correlates of wing- and tail-feather molt sequence in passeriforms
• Problem-solving skills predicted by technical innovations and brain size in passeriforms
  
• Vocal convergence and social proximity shape the calls of riflemen
  
• Song determined by phylogeny and body mass in manakins and cardinalids
• Brain surface morphology of tyrannideans
  
• Amazonian rivers as leaky barriers to gene flow in forest understory suboscines
  
• Evolution of body extremities in furnariidans
• Thermoregulation of understory furnariidans in lowland Amazonia
• Effect of biogeographical barriers on historical dynamics of antbirds
  
• New extant antbird, the northern silvery-cheeked antshrike (Sakesphoroides niedeguidonae)
• Evolution of doraditos
  
• Review of female birdsong function
  
• Fecundity costs of building domed nests in songbirds
• Seasonal modulation of pectoralis muscle fiber type composition in migratory songbirds
• The Great Rift Valley as a biogeographic barrier for Ethiopian Highland songbirds
• Acoustic effects complement visual displays of bowers in the great bowerbird
• Spatial variation in meliphagidean bill size is associated with temperature extremes
  
• Body size shapes song in honeyeaters
  
• Population genetics of melampittas
• Mountings by female-plumaged birds of paradise
• Mechanics of male courtship display behavior in riflebirds
  
• Diversification of Cyanocorax jays
• Carrion crows "count" self-generated vocalizations
  
• Inferred mutualism between the Sunda crow and the Javan rhinoceros

Illustrations of display behavior in Victoria's riflebird by Joris de Raedt, from MacGillavry et al. (2024).

• Gestural communication in cinereous tits
• Diversification of larks
• New Miocene swallow Miochelidon eschata
  
• Phylogeny of swallows
  
• Sexual selection promotes reproductive isolation in the barn swallow
• Diversification of certhioids
  
• Extinction of the Bahama nuthatch
• Evolution of nest characteristics in wrens
• Mitogenomics of muscicapoids
• Evolutionary and demographic histories of the hoopoe starling
  
• Evolution of coloration in sunbirds
• Evolution of multiple color mechanisms correlated with diversification in sunbirds
  
• Architectural traditions in the structures built by white-browed sparrow weavers
• Beak iridescence of bluebills
• Phylogenomic conflict in accentors
  
• Phylogeny of snowfinches
• Diversification of euphoniine finches, including new genus Rufiphonia for "Euphonia" rufiventris and closely related species
  
• Size differences may explain correlated evolution of song and color in finches
• Comparative osteology of the skull in cowbirds
  
• Phylogeny of American warblers
• Genomic analysis of the Bachman's warbler
• New genus Driophlox for "Habia" gutturalis and closely related species
• Evolution of bill morphology in tanagers
  
• Role of climatic variables on nest evolution in tanagers
  
• New extant tanager, the Andean black-goggled tanager (Trichothraupis griseonota)
• Adaptive radiation of Darwin's finches
  
• Phylogeny of the woodpecker finch
• Feasibility of ecological speciation in the medium ground finch

Skulls of cowbirds, from Gómez and Lois-Milevicich (2024).