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Glite Dictionary
Ratitae

Ratitae

9.9
A former group of birds that cannot fly, like ostriches, emus and kiwis
  • noun
  • /ˈrætɪˌti/
  • Archaic
translation icon : Ratitae
  • In the past, the classification of birds known as Ratitae included species like ostriches and emus.

Examples

  • The Ratitae group includes birds like ostriches and emus.

  • Many 19th-century zoologists included ostriches and emus in the group Ratitae.

  • Modern taxonomy has replaced Ratitae with more precise avian classifications.

  • The term Ratitae is seldom used in current ornithology, but may appear in historical texts.

  • Many scientists study Ratitae to understand their evolution.

  • The historical group called Ratitae encompassed various flightless birds recognized by early ornithologists.

  • Although not commonly used today, Ratitae referred to a category of large, flightless birds in earlier taxonomic systems.

Synonyms

superorder Ratitae
vsRatitae
  • Archaic
9.9

A former scientific group for birds that cannot fly like ostriches, emus, and kiwis

refers to a general group of those birds rather than specifically grouping their orders

Surface Forms

Ratitae singular
Ratitaes plural

Etymology

The word Ratitae comes from the Latin root ratis, which means 'raft', because these birds have a flat, raft-like breastbone instead of the strong keel used for flying. That's why Ratitae was used for a group of flightless birds such as ostriches, emus and kiwis.