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Which foot feature has traditionally united pelecaniform birds?
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Pelecaniform
European white pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) in flight.
Pelecaniform birds have traditionally been united by the presence of webbing between all four toes. This specific foot structure is known as being totipalmate.12
While modern taxonomic classifications are in flux and have led to the reassignment of several families into different orders, such as Suliformes and Phaethontiformes, this shared characteristic of four-toed webbing remains a defining feature in the traditional understanding of the group.1