What is Ratite?
{{Taxobox |name = Ratites |image = |image_width = 258px |image_caption = Various ratite birds |regnum = [[Animal]]ia |phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] |classis = [[Aves]] |superordo = [[Paleognathae]] |ordo = '''Struthioniformes'''[[paraphyly|*]] |ordo_authority = [[John Latham (ornithologist)|Latham]], 1790 |subdivision_ranks = Families |subdivision = [[Ostrich|Struthionidae]] (ostriches)<br /> [[Rhea (bird)|Rheidae]] (rheas)<br /> [[Casuariidae]] ([[emu]]s etc.)<br /> †[[Elephant Bird|Aepyornithidae]] ([[elephant bird]]s)<br /> †[[Moa|Dinornithidae]] (moa)<br /> [[Kiwi|Apterygidae]] (kiwis) }} The '''ratites''' are a group of medium to large birds, most of which are flightless. Most of them, including the largest ([[moa]]s and [[elephant bird]]s) are now [[extinct]]. Unlike other [[flightless birds]], the ratites have no keel on their [[sternum]]. In a flying bird the sternum anchors the wing muscles. Most parts of the former super-[[continent]] [[Gondwana]] have ratites,<ref>Gondwana included the [[southern hemisphere]] continents plus [[Africa]], [[Madagascar]], [[Arabia]] and the [[Indian subcontinent]].</ref> or did have until the fairly recent past. Their closest living relatives are the [[tinamou]]s of [[South America]].<ref name=Haddrath>{{cite journal |last=Haddrath O. & Baker A. 2001 |title=Complete mitochondrial DNA genome sequences of extinct birds: Ratite phylogenetics and the vicariance biogeography hypothesis|journal=Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B|year=2001|volume=268|pages=939–945 |url=https://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2001.1587|doi=10.1098/rspb.2001.1587 |pmid=11370967 |issue=1470 |pmc=1088691}}</ref><ref name=Cooper>{{cite journal |last1=Cooper A. ''et al'' 2001 |title=Complete mitochondrial genome sequences of two extinct moas clarify ratite evolution|journal=Nature|year=2001|volume=409|pages=704–707 |url=http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v409/n6821/abs/409704a0.html|doi=10.1038/35055536|accessdate=2008-04-05|pmid=11217857|issue=6821|bibcode=2001Natur.409..704C|s2cid=4430050}}</ref> The classifica