Suliformes
| Suliformes Temporal range: Eocene - present
| |
|---|---|
| Northern gannet (Morus bassanus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Clade: | Pelecanes |
| Order: | Suliformes Sharpe, 1891 |
| Type species | |
| Sula leucogaster Boddaert, 1783
| |
| Families | |
The order Suliformes (/ˈsjuːlɪfɔːrmiːz/, dubbed "Phalacrocoraciformes" by Christidis & Boles 2008) is an order of birds that includes gannets, boobies, frigatebirds, cormorants and darters. The order is recognised by the International Ornithologist's Union. Regarding the recent evidence that the traditional Pelecaniformes is polyphyletic, it has been suggested that the group be divided to reflect the true evolutionary relationships; a 2017 study indicated that they are most closely related to Otidiformes (bustards) and Ciconiiformes (storks).