Paleognathous palate

From EvoWiki

Paleognathous palate refers to a palatal morphology first recognized and described by Huxley in 1867. The characters associated with a paleognathous palatal condition include:

a)Vomer firmly attached to the pterygoid

b)Joint between the pterygoid and palatine absent

c)A kinetic joint between the braincase and the pterygoid is present

This palatal condition was once used to unite ratites in a holophyletic assemblage, but has since been shown plesiomorphic to the group.

JGK