Degrange 2021 revises Phorusrhacidae

From the DeGrange 2021 abstract
“Phorusrhacidae, popularly known as ‘terror birds’, are the most speciose clade within the avian order Cariamiformes, with a fossil record that ranges from the Eocene to the Pleistocene. Although several species have preserved skulls, our understanding of their cranial morphology remains incomplete. Here, a comprehensive overview of the current knowledge of phorusrhacid skull anatomy is presented.”

Some phylogenetic issues here due to taxon exclusion.

According to Wikipedia,
“Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown that Cariamiformes is basal to the Falconiformes, Psittaciformes and Passeriformes” 

In the LRT Cariama and Sagittarius are basal to nearly all non-ratite birds. The above list omits galliformes (Gallus), which nest between falconiformes (Falco) and passeriformes (Passer) in the LRT.

Once again,
adding taxa while avoiding molecular studies and outdated traditions recovers a cladogram in which gradual evolution is demonstrated at every node.

References
Degrange FJ 2021. A Revision of Skull Morphology In Phorusrhacidae (Aves, Cariamiformes) Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology Article: e1848855
DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2020.1848855

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2020.1848855