Mirandornithes is a clade that consists of flamingos and grebes. Many scholars use the term Phoenicopterimorphae for the superorder containing flamingoes and grebes. Determining the relationships of both groups has been problematic. Flamingos had been placed with numerous branches within Neognathae, such as ducks and storks. The grebes had been placed with the loons. However more recent genomic studies have confirmed these two branches as sister groups. Both primitive phoenicopteriformes and their closest relatives, the grebes, were highly aquatic. This indicates that the entire mirandornithe group evolved from aquatic, probably swimming ancestors.

Etymology

The term was coined by Sangster in 2005, in order to properly describe the new clade discovered with molecular analyses. It is inspired by the Latin miranda, meaning "wonderful", and the Greek ὄρνις (órnis), meaning bird.

Synapomorphies

According to Mayr (2004) and Sangster (2005) there are at least twelve distinct morphological synapomorphies that are unique to this clade: