JOURNAL OF CREATION 33(3) 2019 || PAPERS Baraminology suggests cryptic relationships among Caprimulgiformes Matthew Cserhati and Jon Alquist Caprimulgiformes is a group of five bird families including animals such as nighthawks and nightjars. At first sight they morphologically resemble owls. However, a study of 390 Kbp in 198 birds seemingly shows that they are more similar genetically to a group of birds called Apodiformes, which include swifts and hummingbirds. Why is there such a big disparity between morphology and genomics? The aim of this study was to combine both genomics-based and morphology-based baraminology methods to decipher the baraminic relationships between 87 species of birds from Caprimulgiformes, Strigiformes, and Apodiformes. Genomics-based methods include the analysis of mitochondrial DNA data, whole proteomes by the Gene Content Method, whole genome sequences by the Whole Genome K-mer Signature method, and a morphological data set by the BDIST method. Preliminary results indicate that Aegothelidae clusters with Apodiformes, based on morphology and genetics. Caprimulgiformes likely clusters with Strigiformes based on genetic results. Nyctibiidae needs more analysis. Podargidae and Steatornithidae cluster together and away from Apodiformes. he avian order Caprimulgiformes, as traditionally possible while the large yellow eye itself is not visible. This Tconstituted, includes 130 species in five families: design was called the “magic eye” by Sick who pictured it Caprimulgidae, nightjars or nighthawks (97 species); on page 300 of his book.2 Nyctibiidae, pootos (7 species); Steatornithidae, oilbird or The early work on the relationships of the Capri mul- guacharo (1 species); Podargidae, frogmouths (16 species); gi formes is summarized by Sibley and Ahlquist.3 Most and Aegothelidae, owlet-nightjars (9 species).1 They are char- systematists have not seriously questioned the monophyly acterized by cryptic colouration, lax plumage, small beaks of the group. Their nearest relatives have been thought to be with a large gape, and small feet. Most have moderately long either the owls (Strigiformes) or the swifts and hummingbirds wings and tails for maneuverability in flight. See figure 1 for (Apodiformes). The DNA hybridization data of Sibley and representative species from each family. Ahlquist supported a relationship to the owls, with the Our Creator has designed them for a narrow behavioural exception of a long branch to the Aegothelidae. niche. They are the only avian group that is almost exclu - The phenomenon of long branches and short internodal sively crepuscular (active mainly at dawn and dusk). Despite lengths (perhaps statistically insignificant) is a feature of having large eyes and tapida lucida (a layer of tissue directly the Sibley and Ahlquist ‘tapestry’ and, indeed, a problem behind the retina), they are not capable of foraging visually for most molecular phylogenies. If such nodes were to be in darkness and are only uncommonly seen aboard by day collapsed, the result would not be a ‘tree’ but a ‘bush’ or (except for some Chordeiles species that are diurnal as well a ‘starburst’ suggestive of nearly simultaneous branching as crepuscular). Although they can hunt on fully moonlit events. The evolutionists are coping with this by deriving nights, their needs are met primarily during a four-hour hypotheses that relate the phenomenon to the Cretaceous- period of the day, two hours near dusk and two near sunrise. Some data indicate that nightjars may time their breeding to Tertiary (K-T) extinction event (‘catastrophic meteorite’ or 4,5 coincide with a full moon for maximum provisioning of their ‘extraterrestrial holocaust’ idea). Creationists are aware young. Unlike owls they do not possess the acute hearing to that such simultaneous radiations of bird kinds are likely the enable prey location solely by sound. The oilbirds do use a result of the cessation of the Noahic Flood. form of echolocation to find their way in caves where they The Caprimulgiformes, as identified in the introduction, nest, but this consists of audible clicks that are not fine-tuned are at least paraphyletic. The Aegothelidae consistently in the manner of bats. cluster with the swifts and hummingbirds. The study by Chen During the day, nightjars roost in leaf litter or on branches et al. incorporates data from morphology (including fossil where they mimic a broken stump. While the eye seems to be taxa) and independently derived genome sequences.6 The closed, the birds can see through a narrow slit between the authors combine the swifts and hummingbirds (Apodiformes) upper and lower eyelids. The potoos are unique in possessing and owlet-nightjars (Aegotheliformes) into a larger group two tiny slits in the upper eyelid through which vision is called Daedalornithes. To this they add the remaining 66 PAPERS || JOURNAL OF CREATION 33(3) 2019 exploration of new data in the form of proteomes and the application of statistical baraminological analyses that do not make evolutionary assumptions. The present study provides new data bearing on some of these questions. Purpose of study Christopher Emerling is an evolutionary biologist study­­ ing long-term ge ne tic adaptations at the University of Mont pellier in France, and hosts a blog titled “Evolution for Skeptics”. Referring to a study by Prum et al.7 on a segment of DNA around 390 Kbp in 198 different bird species, Emerling claims that species of Strigiformes are closer to birds, such as toucans, trogons, and eagles, than Caprimulgiformes. On the other hand, this same study seemingly shows that Caprimulgiformes is closest to a group of birds called Apodiformes, which includes hummingbirds and swifts. Figure 1. Different members of the five families of Caprimulgiformes: A. Hummingbirds have long tails, wings which are capable of Barred owlet-nightjar (Aegotheles bennettii), family Aegothelidae; B. Papuan frogmouth (Podargus papuensis), family Podargidae. Note the broad, heavy hovering flight, eat nectar, and are colourful, quite in contrast bill characteristic of frogmouths; C. Common potoo (Nyctibius griseus), to caprimulgiforms. Swifts are highly aerial birds, with small family Nyctibiidae. Adult (left) and partly-grown young in the typical legs and short tails. Emerling asks why these two groups of daytime resting posture; D. European nightjar (Caprimuglus europaeus), birds (Caprimulgiformes and Apodiformes) look so different, family Caprimulgidae, resting position horizontal to branch; E. Oilbird or despite their DNA similarity. Shouldn’t Caprimulgiformes guácharo (Steatornis caripensis), family Steatornithidae, at nest in cave. Photos courtesy of Wikipedia Creative Commons. be more similar to owls rather than Apodiformes? If, based on DNA similarity, Caprimulgiformes, and Apodiformes hypothetically come from the same created kind, then why caprimulgiform groups to form an umbrella crown-group, did they diverge so much over the past 6,000 years? Strisores.7–9 Mayr carried out a study of the osteology of the group, Description of methods including fossil forms, using parsimony.10 His results concurred with a possible relationship of the Aegothelidae It should be pointed out that the size of the DNA segment with swifts and hummingbirds. A cursory examination of from the Prum et al. study was only 390 Kbp,7 whereas the his figure 4 showing photographs of the skulls of Aegotheles smallest genome size of birds from the mentioned four groups and Apus demonstrates the similarity of their wide, lightly is approximately 1,067 Gbp. This means that Prum et al. built skulls. studied only about 0.037% of the entire genomes of these Excluding the Aegothelidae, opinions differ as to the birds. Based on the very small size of the DNA, it is much arrangement of the other four caprimulgiform taxa. A clade too early to draw any strong conclusions about the genetic of ‘Steatornithidae + Nyctibiidae’ is favoured by many relationship between these four bird groups. authors.4,7,11–13 Mayr’s osteological analysis suggests a clade In contrast, two molecular baraminology algorithms of ‘Nyctibiidae + Caprimulgidae’. The sequence of clades have recently been developed which predict baraminic also differs among the various studies, implying a lack of membership based on whole proteomics information (the congruence overall. Gene Content Method) as well as comparisons between One might suspect, on the basis of zoogeography, that WGKS. Since these two algorithms take global genomics/ the Neotropical oilbird and potoos are closest to each other proteomics information into account, obviously they would and to the Caprimulgidae, and that the Asian and Australo- be a preferable analysis for drawing baraminic conclusions Papuan Podargidae and Aegothelidae are each other’s near about Accipitriformes, Apodiformes, Caprimulgiformes and relatives. The newer data, as we have seen, do not uniformly Strigiformes. This paper applies the Gene Content Method14 support such a hypothesis, prompting a need for additional to the proteomes of several species from these four bird clarifying information. groups, and the WGKS method15 to the whole genome This brief survey attests to a general concordance of sequences of species belonging to these groups. Additionally, opinion from studies of genome sequencing and detailed a mitochondrial DNA comparison and the BDIST algorithm morphological analyses performed mainly in the last run on a morphological data set were performed on species two decades. These studies are all based on phylogenetic